Crime Salad: STACEY B. COLBERT – THE NEVER ENDING FIGHT

Podcast: Crime Salad
Hosts: Ashley and Ricky (Weird Salad Media)
Date: September 5, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Crime Salad revisits the heartbreaking and unsolved case of Stacey B. Colbert, a 23-year-old woman who disappeared from her Columbus, Ohio apartment in March 1998 and whose remains were found six years later. Hosts Ashley and Ricky unravel the timeline of Stacey’s life, the circumstances of her disappearance, the failings in the initial investigation, and the relentless pursuit of justice by her family and friends over more than 25 years.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Remembering Stacey Colbert

• Vibrant Personality: Stacey was known for her infectious smile, love of music and dance (especially the oldies and 80s), adventurous spirit, and unwavering joy.
• Family Bonds: Her close relationship with her sister Danielle, despite their different temperaments, and the support of their loving family set the backdrop for her life’s promise.

  “She was, simply put, a whirlwind of song, dance and sweetness. A young woman who could take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.” – Ashley, [01:53]

Disappearance Timeline

• Last Sighting: On March 21, 1998 (Friday evening), a pizza delivery driver delivers breadsticks to Stacey’s apartment, sensing she wasn’t alone ([05:58]).
• Screams Heard: Early morning of March 22, neighbors in the apartment above hear screams and loud banging from Stacey's unit, but fail to call authorities ([06:13]).

  “Why didn’t anyone pick up the phone and call the police that night?... Could Stacey have been saved?” – Ricky, [07:08]

• Missed Opportunity: Neighbors check her open apartment the next day, find her cat wandering, but still don’t report to police.

The Investigation

• Discovery of Her Absence: Danielle learns of Stacey’s absence from work on March 24 ([09:43]), visits her apartment, and finds alarming signs: car outside, purse and keys inside, food unfinished, and the door ajar.
• Early Police Steps:
  • Initial misclassification (sexual abuse squad), then escalation to homicide.
  • Search yields bloodstained carpet as sign of violence ([11:44]).
  • No forced entry—Stacey likely knew her assailant.

Community & Family Response

• Victim Advocacy: Vigils, media coverage, and widespread distribution of flyers by her family and sorority sisters; a $10,000 reward is offered ([15:08]).

  “The only way we can bring her back is the media. We need to make her face as common as President Clinton.” – Uncle Gerald Colbert, [13:38]

• Two Persons of Interest: Police focus on two male acquaintances who lawyered up and declined polygraphs, raising public suspicion but not yielding further progress ([14:28], [15:05]).

False Leads & Missteps

• Serial Offender Link (False): A local man convicted of sexual assault is rumored to have made a cryptic reference to “the sorority girl”—later debunked ([17:29]).
• Community Frustration: The lack of action by neighbors and the spread of misinformation online continue to haunt the case ([35:06], [35:08]).

Discovery of Stacey’s Remains

• Found in 2004: A hunter finds human remains in a Delaware County wooded area; dental records confirm it is Stacey ([20:29]).
  • Delay in positive ID due to missing pelvic bones and weathered remains.
• Investigation Stalled: Severe decomposition thwarts efforts to determine the exact cause or time of death. No forensic evidence links a perpetrator ([22:15]).

Ongoing Quest for Justice

• Unsolved but Not Forgotten: Despite the lack of closure, the family, investigators, and community continue to seek justice.

  “Detective Jeff Besinger of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office vowed that solving this case isn’t just a job for him, but a deeply personal mission.” – Ashley, [25:39]

• Main Suspect (Undisclosed): Family and police believe they know the perpetrator (“a friend who helped Stacy move, refused polygraphs, possibly harassed her”—but not enough evidence for arrest) ([26:03]).

  “Knowing who likely did it isn’t the same as proving it in court. For investigators, what they need is someone who knows something, someone who's willing to come forward.” – Ashley, [25:40]

Lasting Impact & Remembrances

• Family’s Grief: Touching accounts from Stacey’s father, sister, and mother on the enduring pain of loss and lack of closure ([23:11], [27:46], [29:31]).
• Stacey’s Cat, Boots/Cookie: The cat was rescued, renamed Cookie, and lived a loving life with Stacey’s friends—becoming a symbol of healing for her circle ([30:07]).
• Finishing Stacy’s Fight: A grassroots campaign on social media keeps her story alive, provides crowdsourced resources, and fights for renewed efforts ([32:23], [33:38]).

Community Messages

• Public Appeal:
  • “Regardless of your intention, your pact of silence is violence.” – Advocacy message ([33:53])
  • Encouragement to call Delaware County Sheriff’s Office at 740-833-2800 or email finishingstacysfight@mail.com with any tip, no matter how small ([35:08]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On By-Stander Inaction:

  “Why didn't anyone pick up the phone and call the police that night?... Could Stacy have been saved?” – Ricky, [07:08]

• Family’s Pain:

  “As far as closure is concerned, there’s no such thing. God forbid that you should ever have to go through something like that. There’s no way I can explain it.” – Larry Colbert, [23:11]

• Persistence of Grief:

  “My life is really before that call. And after that call.” – Danielle, [27:46]

• On Keeping the Case Alive:

  “Their mission is simple and powerful: to keep the pressure on both law enforcement and on anyone who might be withholding information because after more than two decades, they believe that someone out there still knows something that could lead to an arrest.” – Ashley, [32:23]

• Advocacy Against Silence:

  “Your pact of silence is violence. It’s violence against every woman he's ever met. It’s violence against every woman he’ll ever meet.” – [33:53]

• Closing Poem (Remembrance)

  “How can someone just disappear as if she never even was?... I remember how she would delight in chasing away someone who tried to overstay his welcome… My dear friend. Stacy was more than a victim. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend.” – Remembrance poem, [36:06]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Stacey’s Background & Personality: [00:20] – [02:55]
• Disappearance & Timeline: [05:48] – [09:58]
• Discovery of Blood, Crime Scene: [11:44] – [12:27]
• Community Response, Vigils, Rewards: [13:38] – [15:08]
• Investigation Details, Suspects: [14:28] – [17:29]
• Discovery of Remains: [20:25] – [22:15]
• Family Reflections/Impact: [23:11], [27:46], [29:31]
• Story of Stacey’s Cat (Boots/Cookie): [30:07] – [32:01]
• Finishing Stacey's Fight Campaign: [32:23] – [33:53]
• Debunking Rumors, Public Appeal: [35:06] – [36:05]
• Remembrance Poem: [36:06]

Flow and Tone

Ashley and Ricky recount Stacey’s life and disappearance with compassion, clarity, and at times raw emotion. The tone is respectful, urgent, and empathetic toward both victim and family. The episode is richly informative, methodical, and deeply humanizing—a call to remember Stacey as a young woman full of joy, to reject silence in the presence of violence, and to keep fighting for the justice she and her family have never received.

Ways to Support & Learn More

• Finishing Stacy’s Fight Campaign:

  • Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Lemonade: relevant information, resources, and updates.
  • GoFundMe campaign to hire a private investigator.

• Report Information:

  • Delaware County Sheriff’s Office: 740-833-2800
  • Email: finishingstacysfight@mail.com
  • Anonymous tips: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office (links on campaign pages).

Final Note:
If you know anything about the disappearance or death of Stacey Colbert—no matter how small—please come forward. “Even the smallest detail could be what finally brings answers to her family.”