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- [00:00]
A
Greetings, naturopathy. Dr. Dennis Black here, founder of Rough Greens. And if only dogs could talk, I think a lot of them would say, hey, thanks for the love, but this food, it's not working for me. The truth is they'd be right. Because most dog food, wet or dry, is cooked at such high temperatures that every live nutrient in it is destroyed. And what you're left with is dead food bulked up with fillers and sprayed with artificial flavors. That's not what dogs need. But when you add back in the live vitamins, omega oils and antioxidants are in rough greens, your dog would say something different. Like, they'd say, wow, this is delicious. Or sluggish dogs might say, hey, let's go for a walk. Older dogs might say, I feel like a puppy again. It's not magic, it's biology. Don't just imagine it. See it in your dog. I'll send you a free Jumpstart trial bag for your dog. You just cover the shipping. Go to ruffgreens.com use discount code talk. That's R U F F Greens Discount code talk. If your dog could only talk, they'd say, thank you. Greetings, naturopathy. Dr. Dennis Black here, founder of Rough Greens. And if only dogs could talk, I think a lot of them would say, hey, thanks for the love, but this food, it's not working for me. The truth is, they'd be right. Because most dog food, wet or dry, is cooked at such high temperatures that every live nutrient in it is destroyed. And what you're left with is is dead food bulked up with fillers and sprayed with artificial flavors. That's not what dogs need. But when you add back in the live vitamins, omega oils and antioxidants are in rough Greens. Your dog would say something different. Like, they'd say, wow, this is delicious. Or sluggish dogs might say, hey, let's go for a walk. Older dogs might say, I feel like a puppy again. It's not magic, it's biology. Don't just imagine it. See it in your dog. I'll send you a free Jumpstart trial bag for your dog. You just cover the shipping. Go to ruffgreens.com use discount code talk. That's Ruff Greens discount code talk. If your dog could only talk, they'd say, thank you.
- [02:16]
B
Hello, and welcome to Crime Salad. I'm Ashley.
- [02:19]
C
And I'm Ricky.
- [02:20]
B
And if this is your first time listening, be sure to follow us so you never miss an update. So this week we are going back 24 years ago to 2001 in Columbiana County, Ohio. Quiet, windy roads, small towns where people recognize one another. And it's the kind of place where a disappearance, it doesn't just make the news, it shakes the community. And in this case, a young woman seemed to vanish without a trace. What makes this woman's story even more haunting is how quickly it unraveled. She was only 24 years old, a college student, and separated from her husband. She was trying to build a future for herself when she suddenly went missing. And what followed was a desperate search, suspicions of foul play, and a case that, after two decades, remains unsolved. Most of the original websites dedicated to this woman's disappearance are long gone. Many message boards have been deleted, news links have gone inactive, and accounts have been disabled, leaving her story basically buried in the past. But we've scraped through what remains, archived news reports, community forums, anonymous comments, anything that might help piece together what happened to her. So in this episode, we'll walk you through every detail we could uncover, from the last time she was seen to the troubling history with her estranged husband to. To the rumors that surfaced years later. This is the case of Tracy Marie Evans Hill, who deserves to be remembered, and her case deserves answers. Tracy Marie Evans was born on December 29, 1976, and grew up in Holmes County, Ohio. She graduated from Warrendale High school and by 2001, was building a life of her own. At just 24 years old, she was balancing work at a machine shop while studying at Kent State University's Salem campus. Her field of study remains unspecified in the available sources, so we're not exactly sure what she was studying. Tracy's family and friends described her as warm and approachable, with a great smile and a natural way of relating to people. She was the kind of person who seemed to make connections easily, whether it was in class, work or or in her own neighborhood. And Tracy also had a playful side. Her nickname was Bear, and she loved the cartoon character Tweety Bird so much that she wore a tweety watch and even had a tattoo of Tweety inked on her ankle. She was young and full of personality.
- [04:54]
C
And at some point, Tracy's personality and warm nature connected her with her husband, Clifford Hill. This is another thing that's unclear. We did both a search of Holmes county and Columbiana county probate court records for. For any information about their marriage, but no records were found for both of those counties. So we're unsure of how she met Clifford, how long they were together, or when they got married. That information is just buried, right?
- [05:22]
B
That information is unclear. But what we do know is that their marriage began to unravel, and sometime before 2001, they were separated. Things between them were so strained that Tracy actually filed for a protective order against Clifford Hill. And that protective order was granted on June 6th of 2001. Now, we did find in another source that the protective order was actually dismissed on June 6th of 2001 and had actually been granted two months before that. But that was only one source compared to about five other sources that said the order was approved and granted on June 6th. So we're going to go with the majority rules. We also did a search for court docket records on both the Columbiana and Homs County Common Pleas case access websites to find any details about the nature of the protective order or any details surrounding it. But we found that Columbiana case records only go back to 2006, and no records came up in Holmes County. So, again, we know that a protective order was granted from public news sources, but we don't have the details. But this is where our timeline begins of Tracy's disappearance. So Tracy was last seen on June 7th of 2001. Tracy followed her normal routine, as far as we know where she drove to work at Duo Corp, a machine shop in North Lima, Ohio. And this wasn't a permanent position. She had only been working there for about six weeks. But it gave her steady hours while she was enrolled at Kent State. Coworkers saw her that day, and to them, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She showed up, put in her shift, and left like usual. But what we know is that this was the last confirmed sighting of Tracy. Now, the next day, on June 8, a woman did call Duo Corp. Saying that she was Tracy and reported that she wouldn't be at work that day.
- [07:19]
C
And that part is interesting, since a lot of people speculate that the woman who called actually wasn't Tracy. For from what's reported, all we know is that it was, quote, a woman claiming to be Tracy. But we don't have any further information. It's never been proven if the voice on the line was really Tracy or someone pretending to be her. But the word choice there definitely piqued my interest.
- [07:44]
B
It definitely does. And, I mean, it could just be that since we can't confirm that Tracy was the one who called, it has to be cited as allegedly Tracy. But again, the information online is extremely limited and most public records are no longer available. So at this point, all we can do is speculate. So Tracy Is marked as absent from work on June 8th of 2001, but then remains absent from work for the next nine days. And at the same time, Professors and classmates Became suspicious As tracy remained absent from her classes at kent state During. During that time. At this point, A college official, with growing concern, Decided to reach out to tracy's parents to check on her to make sure that tracy was okay. And when tracy's parents got the call that she had been absent from classes for the past week and a half, they realized that they hadn't heard from tracy in two to three weeks. It was extremely unlike tracey to neglect her responsibilities like this. So they immediately made a missing person's report.
- [08:49]
C
I always think about what must be going through the family's mind when they get these types of calls. You have to be terrified, but you're also holding on to hope that you're just overreacting and your loved one is somewhere completely oblivious to the fact that you were even worried about them. Now, there's no public information about the reaction to the call from the college, But I would imagine that that was a terrifying surprise.
- [09:15]
B
Yeah. Which caused them to immediately go to tracy's mobile home near rogers, ohio. And what they found Only deepened their fears. All of tracy's personal belongings Were still there. Her clothes, glasses, and contact lenses, Makeup, Even her jewelry. And something else that her family immediately noticed Were dirty dishes stacked on the table. That might sound minor to a lot of people, but according to them, that was extremely uncharacteristic of tracy. She wasn't the type of person to leave her home without it being clean and tidy.
- [09:48]
C
And it's those small details that really stand out in these types of cases. It can give at least a lead to the fact that tracy didn't leave voluntarily, or someone might have interrupted her normal routine. If all her belongings were still inside, Especially things like contact lenses and glasses, it suggests that she didn't plan to leave. And the family knows her habits. And if they're saying that's out of character, you. Even though it's not hard evidence, it's an early red flag that something here isn't right.
- [10:21]
B
Right. Which might encourage investigators to process the scene more carefully, Take more evidence Than they would otherwise. You know, stuff like that. And this, combined with her sudden absence from work in school, which was also very unlike tracy, According to her parents, Was another red flag that led them to process this As a very possible crime. So the missing persons report came out, and flyers were distributed quickly As a means to locate tracy Quickly as possible. Tracy was listed as last seen wearing a white gold diamond solitaire engagement ring, a solid gold wedding band on her left ring finger, and a watch on her left wrist with a leather band and the cartoon character Tweety Bird on its face. The flyer also noted that she wears glasses with brown wire frames or. Or contact lenses, but she did not have her contacts with her at the time of her disappearance. Her ears were pierced, and her tattoo of Tweety Bird on her right ankle was also listed. Now, what I find most interesting about this description is the fact that Tracy was wearing her engagement ring and wedding band. Still, because at this point, Tracy and Clifford were separated, you would expect most people in that situation to stop wearing their wedding set, at least publicly. But then again, I mean, a lot of people will hold on to them for sentimental reasons until they're ready to let go, right?
- [11:47]
C
But I also find it interesting because she had just been approved for a protective order against this guy. So, while I get that people still wear their rings if they had a mutual separation and are still trying to move on from the relationship, I can assume from the protection order against him that it probably wasn't the most amicable of separations.
- [12:08]
B
I thought it was at least interesting to mention when it was listed in her missing persons flyer. So Tracy's missing persons report was processed, and this description made itself public. But Tracy wasn't the only thing missing from her mobile home. Her car and her purse were missing as well. So now people are thinking that if her car wasn't at her home, it meant that either Tracy left it or someone else did. Maybe she had left in a hurry, only having time to grab her purse and speed away. But since all of her other things were still inside, it also didn't make sense to people that she would have just taken off without a plan, or at least packing some clothes first. But people wouldn't have to wonder for long. So, shortly after Tracy's disappearance was reported, her car was found in the parking lot of Mark's Landing, which is a restaurant and marina on Guilford Lake.
- [13:02]
C
So them finding her car was both a glimpse of hope and a huge leap. Maybe Tracy had been fine all along. Maybe she had just grabbed her purse and left in a hurry. Maybe she was inside having a meal, completely oblivious to the fact that she was even a missing person. I mean, back in 2001, you didn't know where people were at all times. But there was no trace of Tracy anywhere at the scene and no evidence inside the vehicle to give any inkling of where she might have been.
- [13:33]
B
And this led police to begin piecing together how this vehicle got to Guilford Lake in the first place. And honestly, us too. So, according to the Vindicator, a news article From July of 2001, it was discovered that Clifford Hill was the one driving Tracy's car that day. But we can't find any details about how he was linked to the car. Maybe he was inside having a meal and admitted to driving the car. Other sources say that the car was abandoned there. Others say that Clifford was stopped while driving the car. I mean, we're not sure. The timeline is just really muddy, and there's not really a lot of clear answers. But the point is, police discovered and confirmed that Clifford Hill was the one driving and in possession of the car following Tracy's disappearance. That part is a fact. Now, the interesting part of this is that it wasn't actually Tracy's car, but it was registered to Tracy's mother instead. So police went to Tracy's mother, informed her that they had found the vehicle and that Clifford Hill was the one driving it. And Tracy's mother immediately said that Clifford did not have permission to use that car. So police returned to Clifford, arresting and charging him with the unauthorized use of Tracy's vehicle.
- [14:52]
C
And I want to point out here how quickly Tracy's mother said that Clifford did not have permission and wanted him charged with using Tracy's car. I think that makes it clear that Tracy and Clifford weren't in good standing. And not to mention the fact that she had a protective order against him. Again, it's not evidence, but it just lends to the idea that Clifford and Tracy, they weren't on the mend in their relationship or even being friendly with each other at this point.
- [15:21]
B
Right, and this was clear to investigators as well. And this arrest gave them an opportunity to question Clifford in relation to his ex wife's disappearance. Clifford was adamant that he had permission to use the car from Tracy, and he had no idea that Tracy was missing or where she was. And for me, that's where another red flag pops up. Because not only was he caught in possession of the car, but. But it was found at Mark's Landing on Guilford Lake, which is a very short distance from Clifford's mother's house. The proximity doesn't prove anything on its own, but it's worth mentioning. So investigators couldn't directly link Clifford to Tracy's disappearance, but the fact that he had her car and that it turned up so close to his family's home kept him in their sights from the beginning. So it was confirmed from Detective Sergeant Alan Young that Tracy's car was searched for trace and biological evidence, but nothing of evidentiary value was recovered. This means that police did a standard forensic sweep, swabbing, fingerprinting, checking for hairs, fibers, fluids, but came up empty. There was no blood, no signs of a struggle, and no usable fingerprints were ever reported from the vehicle. This was frustrating for investigators because the car was such a strong lead, but it didn't help build up a case. And we don't know if it had been deliberately wiped or just never held the evidence that they were hoping for. But either way, it was a dead end. Now, before we move forward, let's take a quick break. With the weather cooling down and the furnaces heating up, trying to sleep can get rough. Too hot, too cold. Is this not the worst? That's why we're obsessed with miracle made sheets. They're inspired by NASA and use silver infused fabric that actually keeps your body at the perfect, perfect temperature all night long.
- [17:19]
C
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- [17:40]
B
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- [18:08]
C
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- [18:16]
B
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- [18:24]
A
Greetings, Naturopathy. Dr. Dennis Black here, founder of Ref Greens. And if only dogs could talk, I think a lot of them would say, hey, thanks for the love, but this food, it's not working for me. The truth is they'd be right because most dog food, wet or dry, is cooked at such high temperatures that that every live nutrient in it is destroyed. And what you're left with is dead food bulked up with fillers and sprayed with artificial flavors. That's not what dogs need. But when you add back in the live vitamins, omega oils and antioxidants are in rough greens, your dog would say something different. Like they'd say, wow, this is delicious. Or sluggish dogs might say, hey, let's go for a walk. Older dogs might say, I feel like a puppy again. It's not magic, it's biology. Don't just imagine it, see it in your dog. I'll send you a free Jumpstart trial bag for your dog. You just cover the shipping. Go to ruffgreens.com use discount code talk. That's ruff greens discount code talk. If your dog could only talk, they'd say thank you.
- [19:30]
B
So the next logical thing was to search the area where Tracy's car was recovered. In July of 2001, investigators launched an intensive search of Guilford Lake. They searched for three days, trying to find any evidence of Tracy. Columbiana county sheriff Dave Smith told reporters that the divers felt sure that there was something out there. He was referring to the section of the 400 acre lake that was about 20ft deep. Cadaver sniffing dogs brought aboard boats had repeatedly picked up the scent of human remains in that area. And at one point, divers even reported bumping into what they thought could be a body.
- [20:12]
C
And that raised hopes that they might be close to bringing Tracy home. But the conditions under the water were almost impossible to work with. The visibility at the bottom was zero, meaning divers were literally tethered together with a rope, walking foot by foot and searching by feel. And cadaver scents can travel through water. So even though multiple dogs alerted to the same area, the exact source of was difficult to pin down. So this is just another instance of feeling so close to finding something. But despite their best efforts recovering nothing of true value to the case, despite.
- [20:50]
B
Poor visibility, they didn't want to give up. Fire department divers from Leitonia and Hanover Township worked long hours before being relieved by a second team from Cuyahoga County. Altogether, about 40 people were involved in the search effort. And when another cadaver dog, one that hadn't been to the lake previously, also alerted to the same area, authorities believed more than ever that they were searching in the right spot. Sheriff Smith even remarked that the cadaver dogs are seldom wrong about this. But after days of exhausting work, nothing was ever recovered. No sign of Tracy, no evidence that explained where she was. And with the car connected to Clifford, the protective order, and now this massive lake search, investigators had a lot of questions, yet not many answers.
- [21:42]
C
And I do want to point out here that Cadaver dogs are incredibly well trained and reliable. These dogs go through hundreds of hours of training to recognize the scent of human remains. It's not just the smell of decomposition. They're trained to detect very specific chemical compounds that are released by the human body. And their training involves constant reinforcement. When they detect a scent, they're rewarded, and when they don't, they're expected to ignore false smells. So the consistency of the dog's reactions gave everyone and us a reason to believe that Tracy could very well be in that section of the lake. But with the conditions, I just think everything was working against them at this point.
- [22:26]
B
Exactly, which is why the cadaver dogs were such a big piece of this search. But like you said, the conditions caused the diver's search to turn up empty, and by late July, the search was called off. By September of 2005, more than four years after Tracy went missing, her family was desperate for answers. At the urging of Tracey's aunt, Cindy Starling, Tracey's mother launched a website called tracyhill.net and on the site, Tracy's mother posted a plea which said, when it comes to Tracy's whereabouts, I fear the worst but am hoping for the best. I need your help. I need to know what happened to my daughter. If she is dead, as I suspect, I need to put her body to rest and bring justice to those responsible for her murder. If she's still alive, as I hope, I need to find her and tell her how much I love her and have missed her. In the early 2000s, websites for missing persons were becoming a new tool to reach people beyond their own community. Cindy even mentioned that she hoped that the anonymity of the Internet might encourage people who were afraid to talk directly to law enforcement to finally share what they knew. They also spread the word through flyers, and they announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to Tracy's whereabouts and the conviction of whoever was responsible. And her case was also added to the national center for Missing adults website.
- [23:54]
C
Now, unfortunately, if you try to look up tracyhill.net today, it's no longer active. Just like other resources about her case, they've been lost over time. And that's what makes cases like Tracy's even harder to push forward. Now, so many of the original websites, forums, and message boards have gone dark. But we did get this information about Tracy's mother's post to the website from an external news source from back in 2005 when the site was still active.
- [24:22]
B
Yeah, and we don't really see anything else happening until 2006. When it was reported that Tracy's aunt, Cindy Starling, and a cousin traveled to Columbiana county for the four year anniversary of Tracy's disappearance to meet with Sheriff David Smith and Detective Sergeant Allen Young. They brought names of people they wanted investigators to follow up on, hoping that after so much time, someone might finally say something. Sheriff Smith told the press that they had done pretty much everything the family asked them to do in the case. And Detective Young walked the family back through what they already knew. The car, the lake, Clifford's history. But all the pieces were unconnected and circumstantial. At the time of that meeting in 2006, Clifford was in prison for another crime. In Behind Bars, Detective Young confirmed that he was still considered a person of interest in Tracy's case. But Young admitted how difficult it was to move forward without the key piece finding Tracy. And he told reporters that calling it a cold case wasn't fair because they were still actively working leads. He said that they had not forgotten about Tracy Hill and they will not forget about Tracy Hill. But he also admitted that the longer it went on, the less likely it seemed that Tracy was alive. When he was asked about the possibility that she might have just walked away and started over somewhere else, that his response was pretty firm. He said she wasn't the type to leave her family behind, especially without acknowledging Father's Day that year in 2001. Even if she had assumed another identity and disappeared voluntarily, he believed from his talks with Tracy's family that she would have found a way to reach out to the people that she loved. So with so many missing persons cases, they believe Tracy was kidnapped and killed, and they had a strong inkling about who did it. But nothing substantial to do anything about it.
- [26:20]
C
Exactly. And Detective Young even said that it's a waiting game. He said that when detectives get that phone call that Tracy or her body has been found, that it will break the case wide open. But I don't know. If she was killed all those years ago, will there be too much decomposition to even get anything?
- [26:40]
B
I don't know. At this point, it seems all we can really do is just wait and see. Like I said, Clifford was still considered a person of interest by this point. And he had been busy tarnishing his name and revealing his true character over the years since Tracy disappeared. So Clifford did serve prison time for the unauthorized use of his mother in law's car that was known to be used by Tracy. And he was sentenced to a combined 20 months for this, as well as a charge of Theft in receiving stolen property. He was released in July of 2003, but it didn't take long for him to reoffend. So just a year later, In August of 2004, Clifford was arrested in Holmes county for robbing an Amish woman and her young daughter at gunpoint. They were traveling in a horse drawn buggy when Clifford stopped them and stole a purse containing $6, some bank checks, and a Bible. By February of 2005, he was sentenced to four years in prison for that robbery.
- [27:40]
C
All right, so let's get this straight. If this guy did do this, shouldn't he be, like, staying under the radar, but instead he's robbing an Amish woman for six bucks in a bible? Like, what the hell is that? I don't know. I just think this speaks volumes about the type of guy this is, Right?
- [28:00]
B
Yeah. And for investigators, his string of arrests and convictions kept him firmly on their radar, even though they didn't have enough evidence to tie him directly to Tracy's disappearance. So in 2006, Clifford was sitting in prison. And by January of 2007, investigators and Tracy's family, they were still pleading for information. The Carol Sund Carrington foundation stepped in to offer a $5,000 reward for tips that could lead to answers in her case. Detective Sergeant Allen Young confirmed that Clifford remained a person of interest even as he served his prison sentence for the Amish buggy robbery. That summer, Tracey's mother told reporters how painful it was to live in that limbo. She admitted there were times she couldn't even bring herself to look at her daughter's photos. But she also held onto memories, describing Tracy's great smile, her way with people, and how she was just getting her life together when she vanished. And her Aunt Cindy didn't mince words. She flat out said that she thought Clifford did it, and the police needed information to prove it. Sheriff David Smith acknowledged the frustration, saying that investigators had left no stone unturned, but emphasized again how difficult it is to build a case without Tracy. He called her the key. Finding her would unlock everything else. But he remained hopeful, saying, quote, I got it in me that we're going to shake something loose out of these people. They're going to have to come forward, unquote. And that's the reality, that Tracy's family has been left with an empty space where answers should be.
- [29:38]
C
And unfortunately, like in so many cases, that's where this case stayed. Websites started to go dark and everyone involved went quiet. But someone didn't stay out of the news.
- [29:49]
B
Yeah, so by 2009, Clifford Hill's name was back in the headlines, but not because of new developments in Tracy's case. He was arrested in Ashland county after a violent home invasion. So on March 7th of 2009, Clifford forced his way into the home of 48 year old John B. Stone, shooting him twice in the abdomen during a robbery. Now, miraculously, Stone survived. And just weeks later, Clifford was arrested at his mother's home in Lisbon. Investigators recovered the handgun they believed was used in the shooting, and Clifford was charged with aggravated robbery and felonious assault.
- [30:28]
C
And when we step back and look at this history, tracy disappears. In 2001, Clifford is tied to her car, but claims she gave him permission. He serps prison time for theft and unauthorized use. Then he robs an Amish woman and her daughter at gunpoint. And then less than a year after he's released for that, he's shooting a man during a robbery. We see a pattern of escalating violence. And when we look at this all together, and this is just speculation, the fact that Tracy's purse was the only thing missing from inside her home fits very neatly into the context of Clifford's pattern of violent robberies.
- [31:07]
B
Right. It's becoming increasingly clear what kind of man this is and what he's capable of. In June of 2009, Clifford pleaded guilty to felonious assault, aggravated assault with a gun, and being in possession of weapons under disability, since at the time, he was already under post release control from the Amish robbery conviction. And even though the charges were unrelated to Tracy's disappearance, her case was still very much attached to his name. Reports from that time reiterated Clifford was a suspect in her disappearance. Detective Young told reporters that Clifford continued to deny involvement in what happened to his estranged wife. Every time Clifford's name resurfaced in the news, it brought Tracey's case back with it. But the one thing that never changed was the lack of answers about where she was or what really happened to her back in 2001. On July 20th of 2009, Clifford E. Hill Jr. Was sentenced to 23 years in prison for the March 7th shooting of John B. Stone. So he should be sitting in prison until 2032 and from then, silence again.
- [32:18]
C
Yeah, and Clifford is still in prison now, from what I've seen. And there hasn't been much update in Tracy's case since then. The family has long believed that Tracy's remains may have been dumped in Wayne County, Ohio, in. Multiple searches have been conducted over the years, but none have uncovered any additional evidence. But I do want to talk about the very shocking and anonymous comment that we found on a forum about Tracy's disappearance.
- [32:46]
B
Yeah, so this is really interesting. So, on a Forum back in 2009 which discussed Clifford's arrest, there was an anonymous comment on it posted in September of 2016, which reads as the following. Susie was a bartender and knew Cliff Hill well. She dated his brother, and her brother dated Myrtle Hill, Cliff's sister. Cliff had Tracy's body in a deep freezer in Myrtle's house in Worcester until Myrtle complained to get it out. Cliff and his brother used a rented wood chipper to dispose of the body in Shreve Swamps. After that, the property they used in the swamps belonged to family or a family friend. Questions, Susie, unquote. Now, this detail here is incredibly specific. Naming a bartender, relatives, a location, even a method of disposal. But obviously, this is just an anonymous Internet comment. We've done some research into these names and this information, and there's no confirmation anywhere that any of this is true. But it's definitely interesting to say the least. Now, I do want to say also that the original comment from the forum includes the full name of Susie the bartender, as well as the name of the bar that she worked at and the location of that bar. But in this episode, we've chosen not to repeat this information. This is still an open case. We don't know if law enforcement interviewed her or if anything came of these claims. Sharing her full identity could interfere with the case, lead to people harassing her. And that's not responsible without confirmation, right?
- [34:24]
C
I mean, the Sheriff's office has never verified this claim, and without hard evidence, it just stays a rumor. Rumors on the Internet can spread so fast, and sometimes names get attached to them in ways that can cause real harm to people who may not have had anything to do with it. Until there's documentation or a police report backing it up, it's better to treat these claims as unverified to protect everyone involved, most especially Tracy and her family. But seriously, finding something like this just sitting in the depths of a random online forum, that's pretty shocking.
- [35:00]
B
But here's where things stand today. So, in 2024, Sheriff Brian McLaughlin, who had a special interest in revisiting cold cases once he joined the Columbiana Sheriff's Office, emphasized that Tracy has not been forgotten. Over the past three years, investigators have been going back through old interviews, even talking to people who may have been overlooked before. The idea is that with so much time past, someone who was once hesitant might finally be ready to Share what they know. Sheriff McLaughlin also hopes that advancements in DNA testing will give investigators tools they didn't have back in 2001, causing this cold case to break open.
- [35:43]
C
And even with that progress, Clifford Hill remains listed as a person of interest in Tracy's disappearance. Her family has long believed that he was involved, as many do, but he still maintains his innocence. Tracy's father did make a short appearance on this News coverage in 2024, but we don't have any information about the rest of Tracy's family and where they stand today.
- [36:07]
B
But we do know that they believe Tracey has been murdered and that her body may have been dumped in Wayne County. What is certain is that Tracy did not simply walk away from her Life. She was 24 years old, with family, friends, a job, and classes that she was committed to. She hasn't contacted anyone since that summer day in 2001. Foul play is suspected, and her case remains unsolved.
- [36:34]
C
So one question that always lingers for everyone and us is the lake. Guilford Lake was the focus so early on, and with cadaver dogs and the poor visibility, many people wonder if they'll ever search it again. I mean, why not keep going back? Why not use new technologies now that it's been more than 20 years?
- [36:55]
B
Yeah, it's a good question. The lake will always be part of this case. In people's minds, the strongest alerts came from that water. So that's where hope keeps circling back to whether it holds answers or not. And also, if her remains are in this lake, there may be some updates pretty soon as the lake is being drained.
- [37:16]
C
So even though it's been 24 years, there's still some hope in finding her remains.
- [37:22]
B
Yeah, and according to the state, it's being drained due to long overdue updates that are needed to the dam. So we're hoping that the investigation takes advantage of this as well. Even with all of these years that have passed, Tracey's case is still open. Foul play is suspected. But without Tracy, there's just no way to bring justice to those responsible. And that's why Columbiana County Sheriff's Office continues to ask for the public's help. If you know anything about the disappearance of Tracy Hill, no matter how small, you're urged to call their office at 330-424-7255. Please feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts on Tracy's case. And if you know anything at all that could help investigators, please reach out to the Columbiana County Sheriff's Office. Now, before we jump off here. Let's talk about Crimecon Denver, Colorado.
- [38:14]
A
Yeah.
- [38:15]
C
So we just made it back from Crimecon Denver, and holy cow, what an experience.
- [38:20]
B
Yeah, it was. The energy there was just incredible.
- [38:24]
C
We were surrounded by so many people, so many amazing people that share the same passion that we do.
- [38:30]
B
Honestly, it was very inspiring to be part of something so powerful and moving. And for those of you who stopped by our table, thank you. We loved meeting you.
- [38:40]
C
Oh, and let's not forget the big hit of the weekend are zug zug kitty stickers.
- [38:44]
B
Oh, my gosh. Yeah, they were flying off the table. So for anyone who doesn't know already, zug Zug is our kitten that we rescued. She was flea ridden and had an infection. She's getting taken care of now. But this sticker is actually a cartoon version of our little zug zug.
- [39:00]
C
You know, I'm actually really surprised how many people had black cats and just love black cats. It's like the crime community, they all love black cats.
- [39:10]
B
Yeah. There are so many people who picked up a little zug zug sticker and they said, I have a black cat at home or oh my gosh, I love black cats. It was really neat.
- [39:21]
C
Yeah.
- [39:21]
B
And we didn't really know that. It's like. Well, we like black cats because we have two of them. And a lot of other people at CrimeCon did too, apparently.
- [39:29]
C
Yeah.
- [39:30]
B
Something about true crime and black cats, which gave me the idea that let's make a sweatshirt. So Ricky and I, we had a shirt designed that says black cats and true crime. It's available on our website@c Crimesaladpodcast.com so you can check it out if you'd like. We have other merch things on there as well.
- [39:48]
C
Yeah, just in time for Halloween and October and all of this fall stuff.
- [39:52]
B
Exactly. And also we might as well add, if you would like ad free listens, you can check out our patreon@patreon.com crimesaladpodcast or you can subscribe on Apple.
- [40:04]
C
Yeah. So if you hate ads as much as I do, you can get ad free listening on Patreon for as little as $1 one doll hair.
- [40:13]
B
All right, well, thanks so much for listening to this week's episode. We truly appreciate you guys subscribing, checking us out, meeting us at CrimeCon. It's all just so awesome. Thank you for being a part of the Crime Salad community. We will see you next time.
- [40:27]
C
Crime Salad is a black cat. Media Production Foreign.
- [40:44]
A
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