Cold Case Files – "The Taunt / Death in Deadwood"

Release Date: March 3, 2026
Podcast Network: A&E / PodcastOne
Narrated by: Marisa Pinson

Overview

This double-episode of Cold Case Files explores two haunting cases once thought unsolvable. The first segment, “The Taunt,” revisits a terrifying series of linked rapes in mid-90s Louisville, Kentucky, and the dogged detective work—even in the face of taunting from the perpetrator—that finally brought justice years later. The second story, “Death in Deadwood,” transports listeners to the Black Hills of South Dakota, where advancements in forensic technology and perseverance lead to the unraveling of a decades-old, brutal campground killing.

Both cases reveal the emotional aftermath for survivors and families, the slow but relentless grind of investigation, and the way advances in science and old-fashioned persistence can unlock the truth—sometimes when least expected.

Episode Structure

1. The Taunt (Louisville, KY rape cases – 1995–2004)

   • 00:00–20:30

2. Death in Deadwood (David Rose murder – 1982–2003)

   • 22:54–46:04

1. The Taunt

Main Theme

A series of rapes in Louisville remain unsolved for years—until a suspect’s arrogance and forensic persistence, particularly in the realm of DNA evidence, leads police to justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Attacks and Their Aftermath

• Kira Ash and Lisa Meredith, attacked separately in 1995 but in strikingly similar ways: night-time break-ins, blindfolds or pillowcases, chilling instructions, and sexual assault ([00:40–05:39]).
• Both women survive but are left with significant trauma and skepticism from investigators, especially in Lisa's case—due to lack of physical evidence and consideration of a “lover’s quarrel” theory ([04:20–05:21]).
• The effect on victims' lives is profound. Lisa's upcoming wedding to Michael Burns becomes shadowed by suspicion, and their lives are forever changed ([05:21]).

Investigation Goes Cold

• With no semen recovered and no suspect description, cases join Louisville’s cold files ([05:39–06:06]).
• Years later, Michael Burns’s determination prompts a review, demonstrating the impact of victim advocacy ([05:53–06:40]).

Breakthrough from Overlooked Evidence

• Lt. Joe Richardson finds old interview notes (three sheets of paper) from burglar John Boston in the cold case file ([06:49–07:31]).
• Boston implicated a “partner” in the rape—later proven to have an alibi—shifting focus onto Boston himself ([08:23–08:52]).

Pattern Recognition & DNA Evidence

• Investigators link three cases by modus operandi and discover that one, from 1994, includes preserved semen ([09:36–09:49]).

The Suspect Taunts Police

• John Boston, aware police are closing in, sends a letter to taunt Lt. Richardson—unknowingly providing his DNA via a licked envelope ([10:00–11:17]).
  • Quote (Richardson): "It's unusual for somebody to try to taunt the police...he just made one mistake and that was the fatal mistake." ([10:11])

Case Cracked by Forensics and Ego

• DNA from the envelope confirms the connection ([13:14–13:29]).
• Boston’s own ego becomes his undoing—he makes further contact, even sending photos next to a police car ([10:57–11:17]).
  • "He was throwing it in our face. We couldn't catch him, so he had to pose beside a police car...It backfired." ([19:14])

Arrest, Trial, and Conviction

• Boston is tracked across state lines and arrested ([14:37–14:52]).
• Investigators use psychological strategies—letting his ego do the talking in interviews ([15:22–16:47]).
• At trial, survivor testimony is crucial ([17:33–18:41]).
• Boston is convicted on all counts and sentenced to 420 years ([18:47]).

Complications and Aftermath

• One verdict for Kira Ash is overturned, but she seeks peace rather than retrial ([19:27]).
• Lisa and Michael Burns reflect on perseverance and healing:
  • "We have our faith in each other and trust and our faith in God and that's what's gotten us through." ([20:08])
  • "I love you more today than I did 11 years ago." ([20:26])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kira Ash (victim):
  "God had helped me erase that almost from my memory. Not erase it from my memory, but erase it from my heart." ([01:44])
• Police skepticism:
  "At the time, working these types of cases, we were a little skeptical of whether this actually occurred." – Lieutenant ([04:20])
• Lisa on trauma:
  "Once I did, it just started coming out. For eight years, my most vivid memories has been of that night, not my wedding. And I feel like I've cheated my husband from that." ([18:17])
• Detective Richardson on persistence:
  "He just made one mistake and that was the fatal mistake." ([10:11])
• On Boston’s arrogance:
  "He was throwing it in our face. We couldn't catch him, so he had to pose beside a police car like he can get away and we can't catch him. So that was putting salt in the wound, but it didn't stop us. It made us more determined. It backfired." ([19:14])
• Lisa and Michael's resilience:
  "We laugh about, you know, we've been through way too much and you know, we have our faith in each other and trust and our faith in God and that's what's gotten us through." ([20:08])

Key Timestamps

• [02:00] – Kira recounts her attack
• [03:46] – Lisa and Michael's perspective post-assault
• [06:49] – Discovery of critical old interview notes
• [10:00] – Boston's taunting letter/DNA collection
• [14:37] – Boston's arrest
• [17:33] – Victim testimony at trial
• [18:47] – Conviction and sentencing
• [19:27] – Aftermath for victims

2. Death in Deadwood

Main Theme

A brutal 1982 campground murder near Deadwood, SD, goes cold for two decades. Rediscovered evidence and digital fingerprint technology finally unmask a drifter known only as “Outlaw”—whose true story is as winding as the case itself.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Gruesome Crime Scene

• Detective Dwayne Russell describes a viciously beaten male body and chaotic campsite in 1982 Deadwood ([22:54–24:18]).
• Victim identified: David Crockett Rose, local man, bludgeoned with a 25-pound rock ([24:18–24:57]).

Investigative Obstacles

• Names and artifacts found onsite point to a drifter, “Vernon Chaney,” but soon focus shifts to a pair known as “Outlaw” and “In Law” ([25:22–26:58]).
• Outlaw and In Law, recently ejected from the Rainbow Family gathering, are rumored to have stolen items—including those at the scene.

The "Rainbow Family" Subculture

• Interviews with group members paint a vivid countercultural backdrop.
  • "Not a bunch of hippies get together. We kind of hooked up back in the late 60s, early 70s and made a coalition to be free peace people." – Vernon Chaney ([25:49])

Insurmountable Forensic Limits—Then a Break

• A fingerprint is lifted from a beer can at the scene, but in 1982, no effective way exists to match it ([27:21–28:02]).
• As years pass, evidence is preserved, and investigators remain hopeful.

The Technology Leap

• In 2002, Detective Randall Rosenau runs the old beer can print through a digital database.
  • They get a "cold hit"—the suspect is Thomas Dalton, a.k.a. Fred Allen Bates ([30:50–31:38]).
  • Tattoos reading “Outlaw” and “Drifter” cement the ID.

Tracking "Outlaw"

• Bates is traced to Quincy, Illinois, through welfare records. He’s arrested by U.S. Marshals without resistance ([33:14–34:38]).
• Bates, a lifelong drifter with multiple aliases, is elusive and noncommittal during police interviews ([35:05–35:39]).

The Jailhouse Confession

• Bates’ cellmate, Serge Derosier, provides a jailhouse confession—further incriminating Bates in Rose’s murder ([38:44–40:02]).
  • "When people commit crimes, particularly heinous crimes, they seem to always tell somebody." – Captain Brian Dean ([39:06])
• Derosier's detailed knowledge is deemed credible by detectives.

The Case Against Bates and In Law

• Police identify "In Law," now a California college student, who describes the fatal confrontation:
  • Rose made a pass at her, which precipitated Bates’s attack with a boulder ([43:13–43:29]).
  • "Tom just grabbed a... boulder and for what would be self defense or whatever and hit him with it." ([43:29])

Closure

• Bates pleads guilty to first-degree manslaughter and is sentenced to 35 years ([45:02–45:16]).
  • "I think he'll be eligible for parole when he's about 70 if he lives that long." ([45:16])
• The victim’s family expresses relief to have answers after so long ([45:36]).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Outlaw's identity:
  "Our fingerprint itself did come back with a hit and identified our individual as Thomas Dalton. So now we had a potential name and date of birth to give to Outlaw." ([30:50])
• About the crime scene:
  "Stuff was just strewn about. Looked like a Salvation Army box had been a drop off point...Looks like somebody was kind of in a panic situation, lightening their load and getting rid of as much as they could." ([25:05])
• On solving the case:
  "So I know that they [Rose's children] were happy to see that...20 years later, they pulled out the file and dusted it off and they solved it. And I’m just really proud to have been a part of that." ([45:36])

Key Timestamps

• [22:54] – Deputies discover the bloody crime scene
• [24:18] – Identification of victim as David Rose
• [27:21] – Forensic challenge: print on beer can
• [30:50] – Fingerprint hit identifies Thomas Dalton/Fred Allen Bates
• [34:38] – Arrest in Illinois
• [38:44] – Jailhouse confession
• [43:13] – In Law recounts the incident
• [45:02] – Bates pleads guilty and sentencing
• [45:36] – Rose family reflects on justice

Conclusion

In both cases, Cold Case Files illustrates the relentless pursuit of justice: how evidence, both biological and testimonial, can outlast even decades of silence; how perpetrators’ arrogance or simple human error can unravel years of elusiveness; and how, for victims and families, closure may finally come. The stories remind us: time can be on the side of truth.

Episode narrated with empathy and a quiet determination, staying close to the real voices of survivors, law enforcement, and those still seeking peace after tragedy. Skip to the indicated timestamps for the start of each case.