Cold Case Files – "The Tourniquet / Burning Desire"

Podcast: Cold Case Files
Host: Paula Barros (A&E / PodcastOne)
Original Air Date: October 21, 2025

Overview

This episode of Cold Case Files intertwines two haunting stories: the Houston "Tourniquet Killer" serial murders, and the burning murder of Andrea Bourne in Madera County, California. Both cases showcase how determined investigators, advances in forensic science, and perseverance over many years can ultimately bring justice for victims and their families. Listeners are taken through the chilling details of the crimes, emotional interviews with loved ones, and the dogged pursuit of justice even when hope seems lost.

The Tourniquet Killer: Houston’s Cold Case Breakthrough

The Discovery of a Pattern (00:56–10:21)

• April 16, 1992: Maria del Carmen Estrada, 21, is found strangled with a "tourniquet" (a ligature with a dowel) behind a Dairy Queen in Houston. Semen and fingernail scrapings are collected.
• Victim Identification: Friend Rosa Agreda identifies Maria by her distinctive white and gold shoes.
  • Rosa: "I said no, it's not her...She probably went to the store to buy something. This is the street that she walked." (02:24)
• Six months later: No suspects, the case goes cold.
• August 8, 1994: Diana Rebollar, 9, abducted and found murdered with a similar tourniquet-style ligature.
• Detectives notice eerie similarities: Ligature method, Hispanic victims, small stature, youth, and sexual assault.
  • Bob King: "Both had been strangled. The same peculiar tourniquet style ligature. They were both Hispanic, both small in stature and young." (05:56)
• Evidence doesn't yield DNA in the Rebollar case, but Maria’s case has a partial profile. Multiple suspects are tested, all excluded.

The Serial Killer on the Line (07:07–10:21)

• 1995: News station tip line receives chilling call. The man claims police will find a body in a field—implies he is the killer but won't confirm.
  • Barbara Magunya: "I said, I am talking to the killer. He didn't answer...it was almost like a sigh, almost like a relief sigh." (08:12)
• Dana Sanchez, 16, is identified as the third victim: Similar MO—strangled with a makeshift tourniquet.
• Task force assembled: Detectives pool resources, but despite over 50 combined years’ experience, come up empty-handed. Cases go cold once more (11:02).

Breakthrough: Science Catches Up (11:34–14:33)

• 2002–2003: New technologies allow re-testing of fingernail evidence.
• Catherine Long, DNA analyst, gets a hit:
  • Long: "When we finally got something that was male, especially under her fingernails, that's a pretty intimate sample, and it was a good feeling." (13:48)
• DNA matches Anthony Shore, a convicted sex offender.
  • Long: "The DNA profile actually matched somebody...Tony Shore. I know with this profile...it's going to be a conviction." (14:08)
• Det. Wedgeworth: "Oh, I think somebody's going to jail. That's exactly what I think." (14:33)

Arrest, Interrogation, and Confession (17:07–23:46)

• Oct. 24, 2003: Anthony Allen Shore is arrested.
  • Officer Farmer describes Shore as "calm, cool, collective." (17:51)
• Sgt. John Swaim interrogates Shore for over an hour—no reaction, no answers.
• Suddenly, Shore confesses:
  • "John, I'm going to tell you about these cases and I'm going to give you a couple of bonuses. What do you think about that?" (19:13)
• "Bonuses" include the murder of Laura Tremblay (1986): Shore reveals it was his "first one" and describes the evolution of his MO—switching to the tourniquet method after injuring himself.
  • Shore: "It was my first one...I put my hand in there and twisted it. And when I did, I injured my finger. And so I decided I better start doing something else." (20:47)
• Shore admits to other attacks, including one where he did not kill, claiming, "I really, really, really was trying to get better in a really sick, demented way." (21:21)
• Describes the murder of Dana Sanchez and subsequent anonymous phone tip:
  • "Eight days after killing Dana Sanchez, Shore says he called the anonymous tip line..." (23:13)
• Shore: "I'm giving you 100%. Anthony Shore is a psychopath... permitted himself the pleasure of indulging in those psychopathic desires." (23:28, attributed to the investigator)

Conviction & Aftermath (23:46–24:46)

• Prosecutors charge Shore with the murder of Maria del Carmen Estrada (strongest DNA case). Other cases support the death penalty.
• Jury convicts Shore in less than an hour.
  • Det. Wedgeworth: "It's like, finally you're seeing some justice, you know, finally. And justice has been served with him." (24:24)
• Prosecutors believe there may be more Shore victims:
  • "If you've got a female strangled ligature... Check it against Shore. That's all I can tell you." (24:46)
• Anthony Shore is executed by lethal injection on January 18, 2004.

Burning Desire: The Murder of Andrea Bourne

The Crime Scene & Early Investigation (25:14–32:09)

• July 4, 1997, Madera County, CA: Andrea Bourne's burned body is discovered in an olive orchard, shot twice, likely after death.
  • Officer Ben Grassmuk: "...her two legs sticking up out of the fire towards me. I immediately knew it was a woman and I immediately knew she'd been murdered." (26:00)
• Prints found: one socked, one bare (possible lead).
• Pathologist confirms cause of death: .25 caliber gunshots.
• Andrea's friend Ruth Pimentel suspects boyfriend JL Travis, citing a violent history and Andrea’s new boyfriend.

Suspects & Doomed First Investigation (32:09–35:09)

• Detectives interview JL Travis. His story is "full of holes" and "untrustworthy".
• Physical evidence points toward Travis (abrasions on feet), and to Tracy Devares (second girlfriend, car owner, involved in moving evidence).
  • Tracy’s car ("cleaner than ... a showroom floor") yields no evidence. Car is suspiciously reported stolen days after murder.

Going Cold and Reheating the Case (38:17–43:46)

• Case goes cold until 1999, when Det. Vince Zavala begins reviewing the file.
  • "Whenever fresh eyes look at a case, they may see something that the original investigator didn't see." (38:22)
• Zavala uncovers key detail: Travis owned a .25 caliber handgun, matching murder weapon.
• Prints on Tracy’s car match Kevin Mitchell, cousin and third player.

The Break: A Witness Comes Forward (40:20–44:04)

• Confronted with evidence, Mitchell confesses.
  • "He was very willing to talk...relieved to get it off his chest." (40:45)
• Mitchell recounts the murder: JL Travis shot Andrea Bourne after an argument. She lay dying as Travis set the car and her alight.
  • Mitchell: "He laid her down and he poured gas around her and then on her and then set it on fire." (42:43)
• Tracy Devares helps dispose of car; Mitchell hides it at his mother's house.

The Arrests & Sentencing (44:04–45:29)

• JL Travis is arrested for Andrea’s murder.
  • He pleads guilty to second-degree murder on Feb 20, 2003, and receives 15 years to life.
• Tracy Devares pleads to insurance fraud and serves no time.
• Kevin Mitchell is never charged, given full cooperation.

Aftermath: Family and Justice (45:59–46:48)

• Gloria Barnes, Andrea’s mother, mourns her daughter.
  • Gloria: "It just never goes away, you know...you try to go on with your life and you try to find some happiness and then it just, it's like you're going through the motions." (46:04)
• Host reflects on how, for families, closure is elusive even when there is a conviction.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Barbara Magunya (Tipline Operator):
  "I said, I am talking to the killer. He didn't answer. He just kind of like...like a sigh, almost like a relief sigh." (08:12)
• Det. Bob King (Houston PD):
  "This kind of case can take a heavy toll on you...it becomes a life and death matter. It would be the first thing I thought about when I got up in the morning..." (06:46)
• DNA Analyst Catherine Long:
  "When we finally got something that was male, especially under her fingernails, that's a pretty intimate sample, and it was a good feeling." (13:48)
• Anthony Shore (Confession):
  "John, I'm going to tell you about these cases and I'm going to give you a couple of bonuses. What do you think about that?" (19:13)
• Vince Zavala (Cold Case Detective):
  "...whenever fresh eyes look at a case, they may see something that the original investigator didn't see." (38:22)
• Gloria Barnes (Mother of Andrea Bourne):
  "It just never goes away, you know, it just kind of eats at you...it's like you're going through the motions." (46:04)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:56–03:08: Maria Estrada’s murder and identification
• 03:37–06:10: Discovery of Diana Rebollar, linking of cases
• 07:07–09:13: Serial killer calls tipline and discovery of Dana Sanchez
• 11:34–14:21: DNA advances, match to Anthony Shore
• 17:07–19:36: Shore’s arrest and confession to past and unknown crimes
• 22:27–23:28: Confessions to further attacks, link to anonymous tip
• 23:46–24:46: Conviction and execution of Anthony Shore
• 25:14–27:12: Andrea Bourne’s burned body found, investigation begins
• 28:12–34:09: Suspicion and interviews with JL Travis and Tracy Devares
• 35:09–38:17: Case goes cold, picked up years later
• 40:04–41:03: Kevin Mitchell’s confession as eyewitness
• 43:46–45:14: Arrest, plea, and sentencing of Travis and Devares
• 45:59–46:48: Gloria Barnes reflects on aftermath

Tone and Style

The episode maintains a somber, meticulous storytelling style, blending the voices of investigators, family members, and even confessions from the killers. The tone reflects both the horror of the crimes and the relentless hope of those who refuse to stop searching for answers, with memorable, emotionally raw testimonies from those left behind.

“You won’t ever forget about a homicide that you’ve worked on, but especially this case, because you know that there’s a serial killer that was responsible for these people. So it’s always there and you’re always wondering, well, when is he going to strike again?”
— Detective Roger Wedgworth (11:34)