REOPENED: Missing in Altoona

Summary

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Cold Case Files: REOPENED – “Missing in Altoona”

Release Date: December 18, 2025 | Host: Paula Barros

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Overview

This episode revisits a haunting cold case from Altoona, Pennsylvania: the disappearance and murder of Sherry Leedy in 1999. Through first-person family testimonies, investigator interviews, and forensic details, the podcast reveals how a mother’s unresolved vanishing stretched her family’s pain over fourteen years—until a dramatic confession broke the silence. The episode embodies Cold Case Files’ signature blend of human focus and the patient work of justice, exposing how familial love and new technologies can force answers long obscured.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disappearance: Early Red Flags

• Party Without Sherry (00:49-02:31):
  Sherry’s absence at her nephew’s birthday is immediately deemed out of character by her siblings and father, showing the family’s cohesion and concern.

  “It was definitely out of character for Sherry to miss one of the kids...that had me worried.” — (Sherry’s Sibling, 02:16)

• Strained Home Life (03:49-05:41):
  Sherry became a teenage mother and tried to maintain a family while her husband Aaron’s job kept him away, leading to tension and eventually separation.
• Conflicting Reports (06:39-07:36):
  Sherry’s in-laws claim she left for Maine with a boyfriend, but her family doubts it, given her devotion to her children.

2. Family’s Unwavering Efforts & Police Apathy

• Law Enforcement’s Early Dismissal (07:04-07:48):
  Police initially consider Sherry an adult who left by choice, not suspecting foul play.

  “The police in Altoona had no reason to believe that she was in danger or that a crime had been committed.” — Law Enforcement Official (07:36)

• Family’s Knowledge of Sherry’s Character (07:53-08:13):
  Her siblings insist she would never abandon her kids, referencing their own mother’s abandonment as a motivator.

  “There was nothing more important to that girl than her children...she would never put her children through that.” — (Sherry’s Sibling, 07:53)

3. Years of Pain and Missed Opportunities

• Sherry’s Children Kept Away (08:39-09:06):
  Sherry’s children, raised by her ex-husband and in-laws, are told their mother left them, deepening the emotional wound.
• Father’s Heartbreak and Pledge (11:28-11:58):
  Sherry’s father remains hopeful until his death in 2005, asking about her on his deathbed.

  “Our dad was definitely heartbroken over the whole ordeal...I promised him that I’m going to find her, I’m going to bring her home.” — (Sherry’s Sibling, 11:28)

4. New Leads & Renewed Investigation

• Social Media Breakthrough (11:58-13:07):
  In 2012, Sherry’s sister Shelly contacts Ryan—Sherry’s last boyfriend—who hadn’t seen her since Aaron’s confrontation, disproving the theory she left for Maine.
• Focus on the Leedy Family (13:07-14:59):
  Investigators suspect Aaron (the ex-husband) and the Leedy family, especially after Shelly learns from Aaron’s ex-girlfriend that Sherry might be buried on Leedy land.

5. Difficulties Securing a Search

• Obstacles to a Warrant (16:09-16:47):
  Kenneth Leedy, Sherry’s father-in-law, forbids police from searching his property, drawing suspicion.

  “But then Aaron’s father, Kenneth Leedy, contacted the detective...and said, no, you’re not coming on my property without a search warrant.” — Law Enforcement Official (16:21)

6. The Wiretap & Stunning Confession (17:10-18:51)

• Staged Call Triggers Admission: Investigators record Aaron and Kenneth’s phone conversation, where Kenneth finally confesses:

  “And out of the blue, Kenneth said, ‘I did it.’ It was the most stunning moment of my legal career.” — Detective Daniel Sneith (18:21)

• Immediate Aftermath:
  Kenneth directs police to “the farm” where Sherry is buried and, before he can be further questioned, attempts suicide and assaults an officer during his arrest.

7. The Search for Sherry’s Remains (21:24-24:03)

• Forensic Search Is Grueling:
  50-100 searchers and cadaver dogs scour the Leedy property for over a week but initially cannot locate Sherry’s body.
• Lack of a Body Jeopardizes Prosecution:

  “My concern was, we don’t have a body yet...That potentially could hurt us as far as moving forward.” — Investigative Team Member (23:25)

8. Legal Bargain Brings Closure

• Plea Deal Angers Family (24:52-25:40):
  Prosecutors lower the charge to third-degree murder for Kenneth’s full confession, over family objections.

  “Does he deserve a deal? No, the man don’t. He took somebody’s life.” — (Sherry’s Sibling, 25:01) “Almost an impossible call. But ultimately, it was my call.” — Detective Daniel Sneith (25:13)

• Kenneth’s Chilling Statement (26:04-26:39):
  Kenneth describes shoving Sherry during an argument, causing a fatal head injury, and then hiding her body.

9. Forensic Analysis Contradicts “Accident” Claim (28:13-29:13)

• Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat’s Findings:
  Autopsy reveals Sherry’s skull was crushed by blunt force, inconsistent with an accident:

  “Right side of the face showed significant fracturing, showed more damage, and probably was a point of impact...And so you have a significant force here.” — Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat (28:39)

10. Justice Served?

• Kenneth’s Final Sentence (29:13-30:21):
  Sentenced to 7-14 years for third-degree murder in February 2014.
• Family’s Courtroom Words (30:21-31:10):

  “My family has been through living hell these past 14 years not knowing what happened to Sherry...He has no conscience, no soul.” — (Sherry’s Sibling, 30:21) “What he put those children through is unimaginable.” — (Sherry’s Sibling, 30:59)

11. Legacy and Ongoing Impact

• Parole Worries (31:36-31:58):
  Family expresses outrage that Kenneth is eligible for parole after seven years—reminding listeners of the enduring trauma of short sentences for murderers.

• Hope and Family Memory (32:51-33:01):
  Sherry’s siblings look to a future where they can tell her children the truth about their mother.

  “I miss Sherry a lot, and I know that she’s finally at rest and I know she’s with our dad.” — (Sherry’s Sibling, 33:01)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Our dad was definitely heartbroken… I did promise him that I'm going to find her, I'm going to bring her home." — Sherry’s Sibling (11:28)
• “There was nothing more important to that girl than her children...she would have never left.” — Sherry’s Sibling (07:53)
• “And out of the blue, Kenneth said, ‘I did it.’ It was the most stunning moment of my legal career.” — Detective Daniel Sneith (18:21)
• "My family has been through living hell these past 14 years... He has no conscience, no soul." — Sherry’s Sibling, courtroom statement (30:21)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 02:16 – Sherry’s absence at the birthday party raises first alarm
• 07:36 – Police explain their early assumption of voluntary disappearance
• 11:28 – Sherry’s father’s dying wish to find her
• 12:32 – Social media contact with Ryan disproves Maine theory
• 14:19 – Family hears rumor Sherry is buried on Leedy land
• 16:21 – Kenneth Leedy refuses property search, escalating suspicion
• 18:21 – Kenneth confesses on wiretapped call
• 23:00 – Forensic anthropologist Dr. Dirkmaat describes recovery effort
• 25:01 – Family outrage at plea deal
• 26:04-26:39 – Kenneth’s statement of how he killed Sherry
• 28:39 – Forensic evidence details from Dr. Dirkmaat
• 30:21 – Siblings’ emotional courtroom statements
• 31:58 – Family’s fight against Kenneth’s parole

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Tone and Language

The episode maintains a somber, empathetic tone, emphasizing the emotional endurance of Sherry’s family and their quest for answers, while integrating methodical, procedural narration from law enforcement and forensic professionals. First-person familial statements add raw emotion and authenticity to the storytelling, honoring Sherry’s life and the pain left behind.

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Summary

“Missing in Altoona” powerfully chronicles the agony of waiting for justice in cases where systems fail. Through perseverance, new technologies, and a singular confession, Sherry’s family finally learns the truth, though at painful cost—and the episode lays bare the holes in the justice system for families of the missing and murdered. The story is a tribute to pride, persistence, and the restorative power of truth—even when justice can only be partial.

Transcript

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[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

My dad was in contact with the police department on a regular basis. It was always they had no answers. They haven't, you know, seen her, heard of her, nothing. I feel like he kind of like lost hope as far as getting any help from law enforcement.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

Whenever the police kind of gave up hope on the whole deal, I kind of did as well.

[Narrator]

There are 120,000 unsolved murders in America. Each one is a cold case. Only 1% are ever solved. This is one of those rare stories. On October 2, 1999, Shelley Nagle's family and friends gather at her house for a birthday party for her youngest son. Altoona, Pennsylvania is a city nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. It was built around the railway tracks and it is steeped in the history of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It is a quiet area with a hometown feel and a great place to raise children. The typical family event seems to be going as planned. Shelly's father and her brothers Richard and Sean are there, but her sister Sherry has not arrived with her kids yet. Sherry has recently separated from her husband Aaron, and she and their children are living with Aaron's parents. As Shelley begins to usher the guests out onto the patio where the party would take place, a surprise arrival draws her attention.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

Someone rang the doorbell and there stood Aaron, Sherry's husband, and his dad, Ken Belides with my nieces and nephew. I was confused a little bit. I assumed it would have been Sherry bringing the children to the party.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

Shelly and Sherry with the kids. They always had big parties. We were always all together whenever those kids had a birthday. Though it was definitely out of character for Sherry to miss one of the kids. Whether it been Shelly's children or her.

[Narrator]

Own, Sherry's absence becomes more concerning when her family questions her husband and father in law.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

My dad and I asked Erin where Sherry's at and Aaron's didn't. Now and then Ken said something like, I can't believe she left the kids. Why would she leave the kids? And him and my dad had some words back and forth and then Aaron and his dad left. Just the mere fact of not hearing from her, not even a phone call to say, you know, I'm sorry I didn't make it that had me worried.

[Narrator]

Sherry and her siblings were raised by a single parent, Their dad. After being abandoned by their mother, Their father did his best to make sure his children had everything they needed.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

He would take us, we would go to the parks, we would go swimming at the local lakes around here. And a lot of picnics, A lot of car rides out in the country.

[Narrator]

Sherry was shy as a teenager, but also very loving, caring, sweet and kind. Her brother Richard remembers her sunny disposition.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

She's always the one to put a smile on your face. She was always happy. Never really. You never seen her down.

[Narrator]

Sherry met her husband Aaron, when she was 14 years old. Aaron was three years older than Cherry, and this was something that made her father worry. But when Sherri got pregnant with her first child at just 15, her life changed immediately and the age gap became the least of their concerns.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

That was a little difficult time. I know she had told me first. I don't know if I was the very first person, but she did tell me before telling our dad because she was worried what he was going to say or do. But I kind of got her to get the nerve up.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

Obviously, dad was not happy about it. I believe my dad became more supportive. You guys made a mistake here, but let's do the right thing about it and make sure you're both taken care of.

[Narrator]

Thanks to the support of her family, Sherry was able to graduate from high school. But becoming a mother at just 15 meant that she had to grow up and settle down much sooner than the other girls her age. By the time she was 21, Cheri and Erin had three children, and they were Sherry's world. She stayed at home with the kids while Erin worked as a long haul truck driver. Aaron's job kept him away from home for at least a week each time he left. So it was a lonely and challenging time for Sherry. She was left to raise her children alone the majority of the time.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

The fact that Erin was never home to be part of the family, I think that's what added the stress to their relationship.

[Narrator]

Their relationship began to break down, and in 1999, Sherry and Aaron separated. Having spent the last seven years raising her children, Sherry didn't have the money to get a new place for them right away. So she had to move in with her husband's parents, the ladies. Her siblings, Shelly and Richard. Recall what it was like for Sherry adjusting to her life after her marriage broke down.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

That was very uncomfortable for her. She started working for a temp agency to save money to get out from underneath the ladies. After she Moved in with the ladies.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

She began dating a gentleman named Ryan. Aaron caught her in this new boyfriend talking in the alley. It caused a big argument.

[Narrator]

When Sherry doesn't show up for her nephew's birthday party just a few weeks after that argument, with absolutely no notice, her family begins to worry that something is really, really wrong. Sherry's family members knew something just wasn't right. So they turned to Aaron's parents who Sherry had been living with, for information.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

My mind didn't want to believe it, but I don't know, it just. It didn't feel right calling up at the ladies to find out, you know, where Sherry's at.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

The ladies had told my father that Sherry had ran off to Maine with her boyfriend.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

They never said who. We just automatically assumed they. We didn't have a phone number, we didn't have an address. We didn't know who he was. Maybe he did something to her, we didn't know. That's what was a little worrisome.

[Narrator]

A few weeks pass without any contact from Sherry, so her father decides to go to the police. As Sherry is an adult who has reportedly started a new relationship following the breakdown of her marriage. The police feel as though there is nothing to investigate. As far as they're concerned, Sherry has gone to Maine with a new boyfriend. And if she has not made contact with anyone, it is by choice. It's reasonable for the police to assume Sherry has left to start a new life away from her in laws and her possessive ex husband.

[Law Enforcement Official]

The police in Altoona had no reason to believe that she was in danger or that a crime had been committed. Their belief was simply that she had decided to leave and have no contact with her family.

[Narrator]

But the police don't know Sherry like her family does.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

There was nothing more important to that girl than her children. Excuse me. Sherry would have never left her children due to the simple fact that she was abandoned by her mother and she would never put her children through that. Her kids were her world. In my heart, in my mind, I. I knew something bad had happened.

[Narrator]

The police speak with the last person to see Sherry before she went missing, her father in law, Kenneth Leedy. Kenneth says that Sherry had woken up to go to work on a Friday morning before getting a lift from him. And after he dropped her off, he never saw her again. As time moves on and no one has heard from Sherry, her family begins to see less of her children. Which is odd for this close knit family.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

I was around my nieces and nephews all the time. Our kids played together after her Disappearance that came to an end. Her children were raised by their father and their grandfather and grandmother.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

And as far as I know, the Leedys led them children to believe that their mother was an alcoholic and. And ran off with another man. And that's why she wasn't around.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

My dad was in contact with the police department on a regular basis. It was always they had no answers. They haven't, you know, seen her, heard of her, nothing. I feel like he kind of like lost hope as far as getting any help from law enforcement.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

Whenever the police kind of gave up hope on the whole deal, I kind of did as well. Whenever Sherri first went missing, maybe there was a possibility that she left for a while. But my problem was as the time went on and she didn't contact my father, she didn't contact her children, she didn't contact anybody. I didn't believe she'd be coming home.

[Narrator]

The months turn into years with no contact from Sherry at all.

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[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

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[Law Enforcement Official]

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[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

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[Narrator]

The Altoona police insist that there is no case to investigate. But even after five long years, Sherry's father does not give up looking for her. And in February 2005. His final thoughts are of his daughter.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

Our dad was definitely heartbroken over the whole ordeal. I think he felt like he let her down, like he wasn't there for her. The last time I was at the hospital with him, he said, have you heard from Sherry? I did promise him that I'm going to find her, I'm going to bring her home. He was real happy. But he passed away two days later. I had faith that I would be able to find her.

[Narrator]

Six more years pass by, and as social media becomes a more effective tool in missing persons cases, Sherry's sister Shelly sets up a Facebook page to try and find any information about Sherry's disappearance. The response from the Altoona police has been disappointing. But Shelly starts by trying to track down Ryan, the man Sherry was dating at the time of her disappearance. In 2012, she finally finds him. And the theory that Sherry had voluntarily left to go to Maine with him is blown apart.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

I started searching on a couple social medias. I eventually came across him through, I believe it was his wife's page. But I reached out to him and asked him if he remembered Sherry. I didn't want to scare him off. He reached back out to me and said he did remember her. And the last time he saw her was when Aaron confronted him by Erin's parents house. Sherry had asked Ryan to leave. That was the last time he saw her.

[Narrator]

The revelation prompts investigators to take another look at Sherry's disappearance. If she didn't run off to Maine with a boyfriend, then where did she go? As with most cases where a person goes missing, those closest to them become the initial suspects. Sherry's estranged husband Aaron is said to have been furious about her new relationship and even suspected that it had been going on before they split up. This information seems like a motive to the new investigative team assigned to the case. Former sergeant from Pennsylvania State Police Daniel Sneith joins the investigation and works alongside District Attorney George Zanuck as they attempt to build a case.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

It seemed as if Aaron was attempting to cooperate with law enforcement the entire time. But they still had suspicions regarding Aaron. Altoona didn't think they could rule out anybody in the Leidy family at that point. The whole family would have been of interest. You don't know. There could have been a plot. There could have been more than one person involved.

[Narrator]

By April of the following year, information is uncovered about where Sherry may be.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

One of the messages I had received from Erin's ex girlfriend, she claimed that my nephew said that his mother was buried underneath an Outhouse on the ladies property up in Warrior's Mark. For someone to say something like that kind of hit me like a ton of bricks. I have to tell the police this because this was something we never even heard of. They were just kind of matter of fact. I thought it was a big deal, but they didn't seem to.

[Narrator]

The Leedy family owns a farm that they use as a hunting camp in Huntingdon County. The 150 acre farmland is in Warrior's Mark township, an area situated between the hilly countryside of central Pennsylvania, around 20 miles from Altoona. Although the detectives have a suspicion that Cheri's body is out there somewhere, they have no idea where to begin. And Kenneth Leedy is far from enthusiastic about the police searching his land as he was the last person to see Sherry on the day that she went missing. This causes alarm. Sherry's family has reason to believe that her father in law, Kenneth was capable of doing something to her. His behavior around Sherry has caused concern before.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

We knew Sherry was uncomfortable around Ken Leedy because he was really touchy feely. He would touch her hair. There was just some really odd behavior. It was kind of creepy that your.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

Daughter in law heard plenty of creepy stories of peeking undercovers when he thinks Sherry was sleeping. Creepy actions for an older man to a younger woman.

[Narrator]

District attorney Dave Smith learns that it will not be easy to get on the Leedy property.

[Investigator or Search Team Member]

Initially, Ken Lighty had indicated to the Altoona police department that we could go onto the property.

[Law Enforcement Official]

But then Aaron's father, Kenneth Leedy, contacted the detective from APD and said, no, you're not coming on my property without a search warrant. And that flagged us as to why that situation had changed so suddenly.

[Narrator]

They need a search warrant and suspicion alone is not enough to grant one.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

We knew if we could get on that property, we would at least have a fighting chance to find Sherry. We just didn't have enough to get a search warrant.

[Law Enforcement Official]

We were pretty much at a dead end. I mean, 13 years later, there's. There's no bloody sidewalk to look at. There's no ball bat to go pick up. We didn't have anything.

[Narrator]

Without anything else to go on, the detectives wonder if they can arrange a phone call between Aaron and his father. A phone call that they can listen into.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

Under the wiretap law in Pennsylvania, if one person agrees to make a phone call to the other, they can consent to be recorded as long as it's authorized by the district attorney. Aaron at the time knew he was still a suspect. Maybe we could find out through Aaron what Kenneth knew.

[Narrator]

In an effort to clear his own name, Aaron agrees to help the detectives, and they devise a plan to try and get his father to talk. It's April 19, 2013, and Aaron makes his way to the state police barracks with his lines memorized for the call. He then calls his father from an interview room. Aaron tries to reason with his father by telling him that he is a suspect, too, and he asks his father what it is that he's not telling him. But Kenneth avoids the questions and becomes agitated.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

He said, I can't talk here. I have to go somewhere else.

[Narrator]

The detectives urge Aaron to try again, so he calls his father back, and the conversation that happens next changes the course of the investigation.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

Once again, Aaron was upset on the phone, his dad was upset on the phone, and out of the blue, Kenneth said, I did it. It was the most stunning moment of my legal career. He had just confessed to a homicide that happened 13 years ago.

[Law Enforcement Official]

The. The feeling was gut wrenching. We just had this guy tell us he killed somebody 13 years ago, and nobody ever knew she was dead.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

And at that point, everything changed.

[Narrator]

Kenneth claims that Cherry's death had been an accident. And when Aaron asks him where she is, Kenneth replies that she's on the phone. Farm. The vast expanse of the farmland is surrounded by fences and rocky terrain, and Kenneth indicates that Sherry is buried under a rock pile somewhere on the land. That evening, state troopers go to Kenneth Leedy's residence and question him about Sherry's disappearance. Kenneth has no idea that his confession was recorded, so he remains defiant as the troopers begin to probe him for answers. When the troopers tell Kenneth that he will have to come to the state police barracks for further questioning, he jumps up from his seat on the couch and attempts to get out of the room. He has a gun upstairs, and he intends to use it on himself. A trooper tries to stop Kenneth, but he's assaulted before other officers can tackle Kenneth and handcuff him on the ground outside of his home. Kenneth is charged with aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer and is detained in the Blair county prison. He refuses to answer any further questions. The investigators finally have what they need to apply for a search warrant, and Huntingdon County District attorney George Zanuck answers an urgent call. On a peaceful spring morning in sleepy, rural Pennsylvania.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

The detective from the Altoona police department believed that the body was buried in Huntington County. When the detective explained things to me and said there was no question about it, this was not someone who ran away. This was a homicide case.

[Narrator]

The detectives pinned their hopes on the following morning search of the farmland they had suspected for so long.

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[Narrator]

It's just after 8am when the search team arrives on the 150 acre parcel of land in Huntingdon County Warriors Mark Township. Armed with a warrant, officers fan out across the property with high hopes that they will quickly find Sherry. After 13 long years, they know they're searching for a rock pile close to a fence row. But there are countless rock piles and the vast expanse of farmland is surrounded by fence rows.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

We weren't just going to search this property like we would search a house in a drug case.

[Law Enforcement Official]

Aaron Lighty joined us, showed us the fence row he thought his father was talking about during the phone call. Multiple fence rows pretty much lined the property in different intervals.

[Investigator or Search Team Member]

Ken Leidy, he had a hunting stand there. The sense was that should be the starting point.

[Law Enforcement Official]

We had been in contact with the Pennsylvania State Police K9 unit and we had a cadaver dog.

[Investigator or Search Team Member]

Because the body had been in the ground for so many years, the scent would travel and it could be 200 yards away. You could dig and dig and dig, but you still may not find the body.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

We realized pretty quickly this wasn't going anywhere.

[Law Enforcement Official]

The search dragged on that day with little results.

[Investigator or Search Team Member]

It's a daunting task to try to figure out where is she? And there was a resolve by everybody that we're not leaving this ground until we find her.

[Narrator]

The state police Contact forensic anthropologist Dr. Dennis Dirkmit and his team from Mercyhurst University to assist with the search.

[Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat]

The Pennsylvania State Police were looking for a set of human remains. I brought along my team from Mercyhurst to conduct a full scale excavation.

[Narrator]

Between 50 and 100 people scour the land. Cadaver dogs pace looking for a scent to indicate a body is nearby. But as night falls on the fifth day of Searching hope begins to fade once more.

[Investigator or Search Team Member]

You start the morning fresh, and as the days kind of drag into another day, you got to recharge and you got to just keep thinking, like, we're going to find her. It could be the next rock could lead us to her body. So it was challenging. There was many highs and there was many lows, and they were long days and they were longer nights because you would be exhausted. You would go home and you would try to rest, but you couldn't rest. My concern was, we don't have a body yet. We have a statement saying it was accidental. That potentially could hurt us as far as moving forward.

[Narrator]

Without a body, the detectives will struggle to make a murder charge stick. Kenneth Leedy has already been charged with assault on an officer. But unless they find Sherry's remains, her killer might go free. After over a week of unsuccessful searches, the detectives have no choice but to call off the effort. They decide to try and offer Kenneth a plea deal. To convince him to tell them what? Where he buried Sherry's body. If he complies, they will lower the charges from first degree murder to third degree murder. This means that instead of facing life in prison, the maximum sentence Kenneth will have to serve will be seven to 14 years. Sherry's family find the offer insulting and feel as though it's an injustice for her life.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

I was very angry. I didn't understand why they had to make a deal with him. And without asking the family first how we felt.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

Does he deserve a deal? No, the man don't. He took somebody's life.

[Narrator]

The investigators and district attorney feel as though it's their only option.

[Detective Daniel Sneith]

My guess is the family wasn't going to be thrilled with anything less than a death sentence. And I can say I wasn't thrilled with anything less than a death sentence. But I had to weigh finding the body and getting some significant time with the hope that he dies in jail to never finding the body and not having a prosecution. Almost an impossible call. But ultimately, it was my call to.

[Law Enforcement Official]

Make in order to recover Sherry Leedy and to bring her back to her family and to get some type of justice with the conviction of Ken Leedy. I think the plea agreement was what we needed to do.

[Narrator]

On May 10, 2013, Kenneth Leedy agrees to take the plea deal and confess to Sherry's murder. Sergeant Daniel sneath reads an excerpt from Kenneth's statement.

[Law Enforcement Official]

As we were heading out the front porch, I said to her, are you coming home to be a mother this weekend, or are you gonna continue to be a Bar whore. She just simply kind of turned and said, well, you. And I said, you and I gave her a shove. The shove, it was forceful. It was forceful. And she hit her head, right side of her head on my truck, I believe the mirror. And fell face first on the left side of her head onto the sidewalk.

[Narrator]

Kenneth claims it was an accident and he panicked. He decided to get rid of Sherry's body. So he loaded her onto his truck and drove her from Altoona to Warriors Mark and buried her on his property. The following day, Kenneth is taken from the Blair county prison by Pennsylvania state police officers and brought to the farm to show investigators where he had left Sherry.

[Law Enforcement Official]

Walking around the area of this old fence row, he pointed out two locations. I remember saying, okay, Ken, tell me which one I should start looking at. He was handcuffed. He raised his hand and pointed and said I would start there. I started throwing rocks off the pile. A void appeared as I leaned forward on the rocks. I was on all fours, and I could look down in the hole. There's a bone in that hole. We knew we had found Sherry Light for years.

[Investigator or Search Team Member]

Sherry had been on that ground for years. Ken Lighty walked past her grave site, hunting. For years, that family had been on that property.

[Narrator]

Now the investigators can try and find out what really happened to Sherri by conducting an autopsy and a forensic examination to determine the exact medical cause of her tragic death. Forensic anthropologists are experts in determining the time, manner, and cause of death in cases where the victim's remains are highly decomposed. Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat is at the scene where Sherry's remains were discovered.

[Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat]

As we were excavating, both legs were folded up basically almost to the chin. Even the best contortionist couldn't do that. That told us that maybe the body was somewhere else. Somebody had noticed a smell. Then he had gathered up the remains and then buried her.

[Narrator]

Sherry's remains are carefully removed from the burial site and transported to Mercyhurst University to be examined by Dr. Dirkmaat at the laboratory.

[Dr. Dennis Dirkmaat]

The process would be a review of every bone surface that we have to see if there's any evidence of trauma. The right side of the face showed significant fracturing, showed more damage, and probably was a point of impact. This side was also damaged, but probably because it was either against the ground or against a wall or something like that. And so you have a significant force here. And then created many fractures here, Many fractures here that ran through the skull.

[Narrator]

Sherry's skull has been crushed. Her cause of death is blunt force trauma inflicted with an object that caused such extensive damage to her skull that it shattered it. When the investigators confront Kenneth with the results that contradict his story of causing Sherry's death by accident, he claims to remember something being in his hands as he moved towards Sherry. But he never elaborates beyond that. The plea deal has been signed. So even with the evidence that Sherry's death was clearly not an accident, Kenneth can only be convicted of third degree murder. At a hearing in February 2014, Kenneth Leedy receives a sentence of seven to 14 years in prison. His attorney, Thomas Hooper, reads a statement Kenneth has prepared where he expresses his regret that the circumstances spiraled out of control, his regret for not coming forward sooner, and his regret for the pain that he caused the family. During the sentencing hearing, Sherry's sister Shelly and her brother Richard speak directly to their sister's killer.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

My family has been through living hell these past 14 years not knowing what happened to Sherry. We knew she would have never left her young children. Not only did this monster take away their mother, but he lied to them for all these years, blaming Sherry, knowing all along he killed my sister. He has no conscience, no soul. I lost a sister, but they lost a mother. Sherry's most basic right, her right to life, was cruelly and unjustly taken from her.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

I told him I thought what he did is inexcusable. What he put those children through is unimaginable.

[Narrator]

December 22, 2013. Sherry is reunited with her family for a final goodbye.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

When we finally got her home, we did have a memorial service for her, and she was then buried with her father. I felt like we were finally all together again.

[Narrator]

Kenneth Leedy became eligible for parole after serving seven years in prison in 2020. It has been 21 years since Sherry's murder, and the short sentence continues to outrage her family.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

Every year we have to worry because he's up for parole. It's just not fair for him to be able to get out and live a normal life after taking a life.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

When Kenneth Leedy came up for his first parole hearing in 2020, I did speak in front of the parole board. I did start a petition. The first hearing, I think I had over 2,000. And the second hearing, I had over 7,000.

[Narrator]

Kenneth Leedy was denied parole again in January 2022, and his next parole hearing is scheduled to take place in 2024. The maximum sentence he can serve behind bars. 14 years is the same length of time he was able to get away with murder. While Sherry was left in an unmarked grave. Sherry's family continues to grieve for not only the loss of their sister, but for all of the things their sister lost, like watching her children grow.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

I would hope that one day I would be able to sit with all three of them, her children, and just answer any questions that they have about their mother.

[Sherry's Sibling (likely Shelly or Richard)]

I miss Sherry a lot and I know that she's finally at rest and I know she's with our dad.

[Narrator]

Cold case files is hosted by paula barros. It's produced by the law and crime network and written by eileen mcfarlane and emily g. Thompson. Our composer is blake maples. For a and e. Our senior producer is john thrasher and our supervising producer is mckamey lin. Our executive producer is are jesse katz, maite cueva and peter tarshis. This podcast is based on ae's emmy winning tv series cold case files. For more cold case files, visit aetv.com.

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[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

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[Law Enforcement Official]

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[Sherry's Sibling (likely Richard or Shelly)]

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