REOPENED: Deadly Lies

Summary

Cold Case Files: REOPENED – Deadly Lies

Podcast Information:

• Title: Cold Case Files
• Host: Paula Barros
• Episode: REOPENED: Deadly Lies
• Release Date: December 5, 2024

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1. Case Background

In July 1986, Frank Ross traveled from Stilwell to Claremore, Oklahoma, to visit relatives. After returning home, Frank failed to return, sparking immediate concern. Two days after his departure, Teddy Ross, Frank’s brother and roommate, contacted his sister Pam Charles, reporting Frank as missing. As Paula Barros narrates, “Frank Ross never showed up and was never seen alive again” [00:23].

2. Initial Investigation

Detective John Cummings of the Claremore Police Department was assigned to the case. He began by retracing Frank’s steps on the evening he disappeared. One significant lead took him to the Tack Room Lounge, a local bar where witnesses placed Frank playing pool with a man named James Kent Hill. According to witness accounts, Frank was carrying cash and generously buying drinks, typical behavior for two men socializing at a bar [02:08].

3. Main Suspect: Kent Hill

Kent Hill emerged as the primary suspect due to several red flags:

• Criminal Background: Kent was no stranger to the police, with multiple run-ins recorded.
• Inconsistent Statements: Initially, Kent denied knowing Frank but later admitted to giving him a ride to a convenience store to buy beer before dropping him off at his car [02:49].
• Physical Evidence: Discrepancies arose when witnesses reported that Frank and Kent left the bar around 2:20 AM in a Plymouth Duster registered in Kentucky. However, Kent claimed he dropped Frank off at his car around 3 AM. Additionally, Kent’s car showed damage inconsistent with his account, including a dented bumper and a missing side mirror [03:11].

Detective Cummings noted, “Kent was certainly a strong suspect. There wasn't any indication that there was anybody else involved” [03:30].

4. Physical Evidence and Suspect’s Inconsistencies

Further investigation revealed that Kent had purportedly damaged his car two weeks prior by losing control while playing "Dukes of Hazzard." However, witnesses at the time of Frank's disappearance insisted the car was in pristine condition when Frank and Kent left the lounge [03:38].

Detective Cummings emphasized the significance of these findings: “It's a very insignificant thing taken by itself, but when you combine it with the other facts of the case, it becomes a point that we want to clarify” [04:14].

Despite these suspicions, without concrete evidence, the case began to grow cold, leading to its classification among the rare 1% of cold cases that are ever solved.

5. Discovery of the Body

Four months post-disappearance, a breakthrough occurred when divers, initially searching for an antique Model T Ford at Claremore Lake, discovered human remains. Diver John Belding found bones dressed in blue jeans and cowboy boots, raising suspicions about their identity [05:29]. Detective Cummings promptly identified the body as likely Frank Ross based on visual similarities and family-provided photographs.

However, without DNA technology available in 1986, a definitive identification was impossible at the time, resulting in the body being buried in an unmarked grave and the case remaining unresolved [06:30].

6. DNA Evidence and Legal Proceedings

Years later, advancements in forensic technology provided an opportunity to reopen the case. In February 1992, Kent Hill’s ex-girlfriend, Liz Humphrey, approached Detective Cummings with new information, alleging that Kent had confessed to Frank’s murder. Liz described a scenario where Kent, fearing Frank would harm him, strangled him in self-defense and subsequently disposed of the body in Claremore Lake [09:05].

Despite the compelling narrative, Assistant District Attorney Ray Hasselman expressed concerns over the admissibility of Liz’s statement due to Oklahoma’s recognition of common law marriages, which could render such private admissions inadmissible in court [11:04].

Determined to find tangible evidence, investigators exhumed the remains from the grave. Utilizing mitochondrial DNA testing—a method typically reserved for paternity cases—they confirmed the remains were indeed Frank Ross [12:20]. Pam Charles, Frank’s sister, expressed relief: “In our hearts we knew it was Frank. But just to finally say for sure, yes, it was a better feeling” [12:45].

7. Challenges in Prosecution and Plea Deal

With DNA evidence linking Kent Hill to the murder, Detective Cummings sought to bring Kent to justice. Trusting the strength of the case, ADA Hasselman was optimistic: “If you can put it together by this person was here, this person was here... jurors... will find the case. It's a much stronger case” [13:10].

Kent Hill was subsequently charged with first-degree murder. During interrogation, Hill initially maintained his narrative of self-defense but faltered under pressure, exhibiting aggressive behavior and inconsistencies in his story [14:21]. Despite the accumulating evidence and admissions from informants, the defense challenged the reliability of the mitochondrial DNA testing, leading to its exclusion from the trial.

Facing the statute of limitations on the murder charge, Kent Hill accepted a plea deal for manslaughter, resulting in a 20-year sentence with a 10-year suspended period. Consequently, Hill did not serve prison time unless he violated probation [16:09].

8. Conclusion and Reflections

Detective Cummings reflected on the complexities of the case, highlighting the challenges posed by evolving forensic technologies and legal standards. He remarked, “The divers never found the Model T car in Claremore Lake, but what they did find was far more valuable, especially to Frank's sister Pam” [18:08]. The resolution brought closure to Frank Ross’s family, affirming that persistence and advancements in forensic science can breathe new life into even the coldest cases.

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Notable Quotes:

• Pam Charles: “After Frank's body was discovered... it did make us feel better that they did finally catch him and he did admit to it.” [17:26]
• ADA Ray Hasselman: “If you can put it together... jurors... will find the case. It's a much stronger case.” [13:10]
• Detective Cummings: “Empathy is our best policy.” [00:23]

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Production Credits:

• Host: Brooke Giddings
• Producers: McKamey Lynn and Steve Delamater
• Associate Producer: Julie Magruder
• Executive Producer: Ted Butler
• Music: Blake Maples
• Distributed by: PodcastOne

For more information on this case and others like it, visit [e-mail] or explore the A&E Real Crime blog at A&E Real Crime.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Detective Cummings]

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[Narrator]

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[Detective Cummings]

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[Narrator]

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[Detective Cummings]

Empathy is our best policy. In July of 1986, Frank Ross visited his relatives in Claremore, Oklahoma. At the end of the weekend, he headed home to Stilwell, which was nearby. Two days after he left, Frank's brother and roommate Teddy called up his sister Pam Charles to ask when Frank was coming home. My brother in Stilwell, Teddy, he had called, you know, where's Frank? And I said, well isn't he there? And he said no, that he never showed up. Frank Ross never showed up and was never seen alive again. From ae, this is Cold Case Files. The morning after Teddy called Pam, Frank was still missing. The family was worried. It wasn't like Frank to not show up and not call. Pam searched around town checking out the places he visited a lot. There's no sign of Frank, but she found his car in a local parking lot, abandoned. This is Pam Charles. And then that's when we really started getting. We knew that something was wrong. Frank's family contacted the police and the case was assigned to Detective John Cummings from the Claremore pd. The detective attempted to retrace Frank's steps on the evening that he went missing. Detective Cummings search led him to the Tack Room Lounge, a local bar. This is Detective Cummings.

[Narrator]

Some of the witnesses were able to place him back in the area of the bar where they were playing pool with a gentleman named Kent Hill. James Kent Hill. Apparently Mr. Ross had some, some cash on him and was buying a lot of drinks and apparently had bragged that he had a large sum of money on him. Pretty typical, you know, two guys at a bar playing pool and bragging about who's the best.

[Detective Cummings]

James Kent Hill, who went by Kent wasn't unfamiliar with the police. He had a record of several run ins with the law. The witnesses told the police that Frank and Kent left the lounge around 2.20am in a Plymouth Duster that belonged to Kentucky. Detective Cummings paid Kent Hill a visit.

[Narrator]

Mr. Hill at first basically denied knowing who Mr. Ross was. Then he remembered oh yeah, I did play pool with a guy fits that description. Oh yeah, I did give him a ride, but I gave him a ride straight to a convenience store to buy a six pack of beer. Then I dropped him back off at his car, and that's the last I saw of him.

[Detective Cummings]

The investigators found several discrepancies when they attempted to verify Kent Hill's story. According to a local woman, Frank and Kent visited her house together a little after 3am which was later than when Kent claimed he had dropped off Frank. Bob Powell from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation joined the case.

[Narrator]

So we knew he was lying to us about that. Kent was certainly a strong suspect. There wasn't any indication that there was anybody else involved in this.

[Detective Cummings]

The investigators noticed some damage to Kent Hill's car. The back bumper was dented and the side mirror was completely missing. This is Detective Cummings.

[Narrator]

He told us that about two weeks previous to that night that he had been in rural Rogers county somewhere playing what he described as Dukes of Hazzard and lost control of his car and hit a tree and caused that damage.

[Detective Cummings]

When the police questioned the witnesses that had seen Frank and Kent leave, they claimed the car had been in perfect condition when the two men pulled away from the lounge. It was dark and late, so it's possible they were mistaken, but Agent Powell thought it was worth investigating.

[Narrator]

It's a very insignificant thing taken by itself, but when you combine it with the other facts of the case, it becomes a point that we want to clarify and also becomes a point that we're going to use later on in an interview.

[Detective Cummings]

The investigators believed they knew who killed Frank Ross. But lying about your evening isn't proof of murder, especially when there isn't a body. Four months after Frank Gross went missing, divers entered into Claremore Lake. Ironically, though, the divers were searching for an antique Model T Ford, not a body. A woman named Lanell Collins hired the divers to search for a car that her brother had pushed into the lake years earlier. This is Lynell Collins. You have to understand that Claremore Lake is a place where teenagers for probably decades have partied around Claremore. And so I'm sure that this plot was hatched over some alcohol. But at any rate, they decided they were going to shove their car off into the lake, and that way no one would ever get the red Robin. One of the divers was John Belding, who, after five minutes underwater, made quite the discovery.

[Narrator]

I was kind of walking along and stumbled into the bones, and I told the command station up here, I believe I found some bones.

[Detective Cummings]

The command station reminded John that they were looking for a car, not some old bones that probably belonged to a cow. Though I imagine that finding any bones in the body of a lake would be unnerving.

[Narrator]

I have finally asked them does cows around this part of the country wear blue jeans? Because these bones are in blue jeans and cowboy boots.

[Detective Cummings]

Fortunately, Detective Cummings was already at the lake. It's common for law enforcement to stand by because divers often find unexpected evidence. When he saw the body and the clothing, he immediately thought about Frank Ross and the case that was getting colder every day.

[Narrator]

As soon as we got it up on shore, I went back to my car and pulled Mr. Ross's file out of my backseat and had a photograph the family had given me. And the photograph the family had given me had the exact picture of the shirt that was on the body. Identical.

[Detective Cummings]

The investigators sent the body to be autopsied. The victim was about the same height, weight and age as Frank ross. However, in 1986, DNA comparisons weren't available, so experts couldn't make a positive ID.

[Narrator]

This is frustrating as an investigator because I really thought that was our guy. And I was positive at this point that Mr. Hill had some involvement in his homicide and his disappearance.

[Detective Cummings]

The body found in the lake was buried in an unmarked grave and the case was buried with the other cold case files. There's no better feeling than giving a gift that makes someone feel like you really understand who they are and what they love. Especially when it's something they wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves. So if you're searching for the perfect gift that embodies a touch of luxury without breaking the bank, look no further than Quince. Quince allows you to treat your loved ones and yourself to everyday luxury at an affordable price. Imagine gifting them a Mongolian cashmere sweater starting at just $50, a staple everyone needs in their closet. Or how about the ultimate year round gifts? Check out their stunning 14 karat gold jewelry, chic Italian leather handbags and sumptuous European linen sheet sets. What's truly remarkable is that all Quint's Items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. How do they do it? By partnering directly with top factories and cutting out the middleman. They pass those savings directly to you. And they only work with factories that adhere to safe, ethical and responsible manufacturing practices. Plus they use premium fabrics and finishes for that luxurious feel in every piece. I love their cotton fisherman crew sweaters. They're classic and versatile and so comfy now that the weather is turning cold. I love throwing it on as soon as I get up in the morning and sitting with a cup of coffee on the patio. Gift luxury this holiday season without the luxury price tag. Go to quince.comcoldcase for 365 day returns plus free shipping on your order. That's Q U N C E.com coldcase to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com coldcase Even though Kent Hill was the main suspect, in the six years since Frank's murder, no evidence had connected Kent to the crime. But finally a new lead came up. In February of 1992, when Kent Hill and his girlfriend Liz Humphrey broke up, she walked out of their home and into the police station where she met Detective Cummings.

[Narrator]

She walked right in the front door and asked to see me and came in my office and said she wanted to tell me about Kent killing the man from the tack room.

[Detective Cummings]

Here's some audio from the statement Liz made to the police.

[Narrator]

When he gets home, he starts telling me that he met this guy Frank Ross at the bar. They went and bought beer, went out driving around out in the boonies, out where Joey, his brother, lives. This man put his hand on Kent's leg. He had that red duster at the time and he always kept one of those long knots in between his seats. He grabbed that, ran around the car, stabbed him twice because he was scared that he was going to hurt him. But, you know, I mean, you don't have to kill somebody to keep them from hurting you.

[Detective Cummings]

Liz then says that Kent Hill dragged Frank's body into the woods and then a few weeks later moved it. Here's more audio from Liz's statement.

[Narrator]

He felt like he needed to move that body where it was. Well, he got real messed up on some. I don't know what he took just to get up enough nerve to go do this.

[Detective Cummings]

Liz next told the detectives that Kent threw Frank's body into the Claremore lake. The detectives believed most of Liz's story and Detective Cummings took the case to Assistant D.A. ray Hasselman. Ray Hasselman thought there might be a problem in the case. He believed the information Liz provided, but he was afraid because of their living status that Liz and Kent might be common law married. Oklahoma is one of the few states that still recognizes common law marriages. Basically, once a couple has lived together in a romantic partnership for a certain amount of time, they're deemed common law married. These marriages do not meet all the state requirements such as a license or a ceremony, but they do have some legal standing. This is ADA Hasselman.

[Narrator]

Well, you have a problem with, as is common in most states, that if you are married to an individual and that person tells you something in the privacy of the marriage, that that information is usually not allowable in criminal proceedings. Or even in civil proceedings.

[Detective Cummings]

Even though a common law marriage doesn't require the couple to sign a marriage contract, it does require them to get a divorce. If there's any type of parting conflict, a divorce from a common law marriage is treated the same as any other marriage. Knowing that without Liz Humphries statement, there was no case against Kent Hill, the ADA declined to prosecute. They didn't want to ruin their chance for a conviction until the case was more solid. The investigators needed to find hard evidence of Kent's guilt if they wanted charges brought against him. Even though Liz's statement could be thrown out of court, the detectives were able to use the information she provided to look for physical evidence. This time they were going to look in the grave of John Doe, who was found in Claremore Lake. The body was removed from the grave and using the DNA technology now available to them, investigators were able to collect a sample. The sample was sent to a lab where scientists then used mitochondrial DNA testing. That means they took the DNA samples of Frank Ross surviving family to compare to the sample from John Doe. This type of testing is frequently used in paternity cases, but not ordinarily for murder. The DNA tests confirmed what detectives had suspected all along. The body pulled from the lake was Frank Ross. This is Frank's sister Pam. In our hearts we knew it was Frank. But just to finally say for sure, yes, it was a better feeling, you know, a more comforting feeling, I guess. After Frank's body was discovered, Detective Cummings went back to ADA Hasselman. He hoped that with the DNA evidence and all the circumstantial evidence, they would be able to try and convict Kent Hill. Here's ADA Hasselman.

[Narrator]

If you can put it together by this person was here, this person was here, this person said this little bit of information. The body was found where they said it would be. When you put all that together, a lot of times jurors I think will find the case. It's a much stronger case.

[Detective Cummings]

Kent Hill was charged with first degree murder and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Did you know you can watch all your favorite crime shows for free on Pluto tv? Totally free. Totally free. They've got csi, New York, ncis, Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods Tracker, FBI, swat, all for free. There's something suspicious going on here. Nothing suspicious, just hundreds of free crime shows on Pluto tv. Crime never pays and neither do I. Pluto TV Stream now pay never. Detective Cummings picked up Hill and took him in for questioning.

[Narrator]

Ken had been questioned several times over the years about this case. Never Deviated from his story as far as he didn't have anything to do with it.

[Detective Cummings]

After being interrogated for only 15 minutes, Kent Hill deviated from the story he'd been repeating for nine years. He tells a completely different version that explains the evidence but also paints himself in a positive light. This is audio from Kent's interrogation.

[Narrator]

I pulled up out in the country to go to the bathroom and the next thing I know is this big girl white man got a hold of.

[Detective Cummings]

Me with an eye and was trying to get my damn pants off. Hill then tells Detective Cummings that he grabbed Frank Ross by the throat and strangled him in self defense. Detective Cummings isn't convinced.

[Narrator]

His history tells me he's a pretty violent, aggressive individual. Mr. Ross's background, the best we can tell is a very passive no criminal history. Wouldn't be the type of guy you would think would pull a knife on somebody and try to assault them.

[Detective Cummings]

In order to test Kent Hill's new story, Detective Cummings takes the suspect for a drive in the country, asking him to point out the place the two men had stopped so Hill could relieve himself. When they arrived at the location, Detective Cummings and Kent Hill walked around the area. Cummings had a realization. Kent's brother lived half a mile from the place Kent claimed the assault occurred.

[Narrator]

If he was afraid of him, why would you stop a half a mile from your brother's house to use a restroom on the side of a county road when you can see the house, you can see his brother's house from that location? Didn't make any sense to me.

[Detective Cummings]

When Kent was questioned again, he changed his story, but not by much.

[Narrator]

He just kept moving toward me and that's when I pulled the knife out and I stuck him right in the rib cage and he just gasped and went down and that was it. It was over.

[Detective Cummings]

The investigators and the prosecutor were in agreement that his stories didn't make sense and Cat Hill was charged. I'm not sure that bit of evidence was exactly a smoking gun. I love my brother dearly, but I can't imagine showing up at 3am asking to use his bathroom. However, the ADA felt his case was strong enough to get a conviction. When Kent Hill's case went before a judge, his defense attorney filed a motion to have the DNA evidence used to identify Frank Ross excluded. The method that they used. Mitochondrial DNA testing was not an accepted method in the Oklahoma court system. The prosecution was given 10 days to prove the reliability of the test. Instead of going on trial for murder, Kent Hill decided to take a plea deal for manslaughter Because Frank Ross's murder went unsolved for so many years, the statute of limitations for manslaughter had already passed. He received a 20 year sentence with a 10 year suspended sentence, meaning that he did not go to prison, but Instead was given 10 years supervised probation. If his probation was violated, he would have to serve all 20 years. But if it wasn't, he wouldn't serve any time in prison. Kent Hill was interviewed and stuck to his story of self defense.

[Narrator]

He meets me at the back of the car and grabs me by the shoulders. If I didn't have my cuffs on, I could show you. He grabs me by the shoulders and I look up and he says, I'm going to you. I'm gonna kill you. And I said, bam. That was all she wrote. And he's laying on the ground and I'm screaming, get up, you queer piece of. I'm gonna kick your ass. Because I did. I wanted to whoop him bad.

[Detective Cummings]

Two other people told the detectives that Kent Hill had admitted to them that he killed Frank Ross. One of the informants said that Kent had told him the self defense story. The other informant said that Kent admitted he just wanted Frank Ross's money. There's no evidence that Frank Ross was interested in Kent Hill romantically. Detective Cummings believed that robbery was a more likely motive for the crime.

[Narrator]

We have at least three barmaids that said he asked them out on dates. I think that was just a poor attempt by Mr. Hill to come up with some kind of a story to cover what he did, which is all the evidence we think points to nothing but a robbery.

[Detective Cummings]

On April 29, 1996, Kent Hill began his suspended sentence in Oklahoma. On May 14, 2001, Hill was convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a controlled substance. He was incarcerated, but again wasn't given the full 20 years. Instead, Hill was released from state prison in 2006 and remained on probation until 2016. On March 12, 2019, Kent Hill pled guilty in federal court to possession with the intent to distribute narcotics, illegal possession of a firearm, and assaulting an officer. He was sentenced to 25 years. I'd like to think of prison as a learning opportunity where people can come to understand why what they did was wrong, not simply as a punishment. There are so many scientific studies that show that punishment doesn't stop or even reduce a behavior. It just makes the person fear the punishment. I don't know what Kent Hill's prison experience was like, but it definitely wasn't a deterrent against criminal behavior. The divers never found the Model T car in Claremore Lake, but what they did find was far more valuable, especially to Frank's sister Pam. We were just ready for him to be behind bars. And whether it was no matter how long it was, it did make us feel better that they did finally catch him and he did admit to it. Cold Case Files the podcast is hosted by Brooke giddings, produced by McKamey, Lynn and Steve Delamater. Our associate producer is Julie Magruder. Our Executive producer is Ted Butler. Our music was created by Blake Maples. This podcast is distributed by Podcast one. The Cold Case Files TV series was produced by Curtis Productions and is hosted by Bill Curtis. Check out more Cold case [e-mail] or learn more about cases like this one by visiting the A and E Real crime [e-mail] RealCrime for years, Tim Ballard has been championed as a modern day superhero. The first time I saw one of the kids from the video and it like, changed my life. He was the face of Operation Underground Railroad, a movement that inspired hope around the world by rescuing children from human traffickers. However, Ballard's crusade to save innocent lives has always hidden a darker secret.

[Narrator]

Oh, I think he's a pathological liar.

[Detective Cummings]

Beneath the accolades and the applause, a dark storm has been brewing.

[Narrator]

I mean, I can't find a time.

[Detective Cummings]

That he's told the truth about anything. Shocking allegations of sexual misconduct have surfaced, casting a shadow over his once unquestioned reputation. I am host Sarah James McLaughlin, and in this new season of the Opportunist, we explore the rise and the fall of Tim Ballard. Join us this October for Tim Ballard, Unmasking a Hero. Subscribe to a new season of the Opportunists. Now. Wherever you get your podcasts.