Culpable - Season 3, Episode 2: "Still a Blur"
Original Air Date: September 1, 2025
Host: Dennis Cooper
Focus: The mysterious death of 17-year-old Danny Violette, missing for 11 days in 1998, later found in a cornfield under suspicious circumstances.
Episode Theme
This episode dives into the unresolved and perplexing case of Danny Violette's death. Host Dennis Cooper and his team continue their investigation, meeting with experts and family, dissecting Danny's troubled life, mental health, final days, and the ambiguous evidence surrounding his death. The episode’s aim is to untangle the many layers and unanswered questions, seeking justice where culpability is still undetermined.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Lingering Questions of Danny’s Death
- Even 25 years after the crime, Danny’s case remains unsolved and clouded by uncertainty.
- Major points of contention:
- Cause of death was asphyxiation, but there was no ligature found at the scene.
- Tire tracks were found on Danny’s body.
- Ripped-up money surrounded him.
- Theories include: Foul play due to debt, or an accident—nothing is clear.
Host Dennis Cooper (04:25):
“There's plenty of evidence here that points to foul play. It's just too many weird things around it. The cause of death is asphyxiation, but there's no ligature around him. He's got tire tracks on him. Why?...There's so much mystery and question marks and possibilities there.”
2. A Team Effort: Linking with Expert Professor Michael Curtis
- The team visits Tiffin University to consult with Professor Michael Curtis, who leads the student-run Cold Case Fellowship.
- Curtis stresses the importance of constructing a “victim network” and “timeline tree” to identify all possible angles and connections.
- The Fellowship will have 60 students involved next semester, an immersive learning opportunity to tackle real cases.
Professor Curtis (08:50):
"All these shows are taken off, podcasts are taken off, and so they're like, well, what would be something unique that we could offer these students?...We really want to make this an immersive learning experience for the students so they're actually working on shit, you know."
3. Methodology: Building a Case “Tree”
- Curtis explains the methodology:
- Know the victim (lifestyle, habits, relationships)
- Map all associates (“very few stranger related deaths”)
- Build out a timeline of activity
- This method is key for the students and the podcast team as they sift through a dense web of people, possibilities, and redacted files.
Curtis (10:15):
"I have them build trees ... and you can refer to it as you're reading through the case. Right. So, you know, you build that tree...You create a timeline so you know who all the players are."
4. The Struggles and Life of Danny Violette
- Family perspective: Jane, Danny’s mother, recalls his difficult adolescence and mental health challenges (bipolar disorder diagnosed at age 16).
- Danny struggled with substance use in addition to his prescribed mood stabilizers.
- Jane reflects on the moments preceding Danny’s disappearance, describing a confusing and worrisome episode.
Jane Violet (19:10):
“He wrote a paper about how he had a good set of friends and a bad set of friends. And when he was with the good friends, he was okay, but when he was with the bad friends, he got into trouble...I think he knew that he was going the wrong way.”
Jane Violet (22:25):
“When I saw him that last day when he came home, I thought that he was going through the same type of thing again...he was gone. After he disappeared, I felt he was afraid I was going to take him to the psych hospital...and I thought that's why he ran away.”
5. Body Discovery and Initial Police Observations
- Danny’s body was found in a cornfield by a local farmer, John Wiles, on November 4th, 1998.
- Official report details:
- Lying face up
- Tire tracks on the body
- Ligature-type mark on neck but no ligature present
- Damage and discoloration to upper body (possibly post-mortem)
- Hands clenched into fists
- Many officials and agencies (Huron County Sheriff's Office, Willard PD, BCI) became involved.
Detective Bob McLaughlin (27:31):
"The body was lying face up with arms extended...The body from the waist up was damaged in such a way which caused discoloration in spots. The hands were tightly clenched into a fist..."
6. Final Days: Friend Group and Drug Activity
- Steve, Danny’s close friend and wrestling teammate, is interviewed by Detective Bob McLaughlin:
- Friday (Oct 23): Danny and friends attended a football game, then some drove to a neighboring town (Galion) to buy LSD (“acid”).
- Steve describes Danny as behaving strangely with possible drug-induced seizures.
- The next day (Saturday), Danny was incoherent and soon disappeared.
- Steve recalls rumors that Danny owed money for the drugs, which may have motivated violence against him.
Steve (36:58, paraphrased):
“A few days after Danny's disappearance...if Danny didn't repay him the money he was owed, he was going to, quote, beat his ass...Danny owed a debt to this person.”
Police Tell the Friend the Bad News
- Detective McLaughlin breaks the news to Steve, who is devastated. Steve calls Danny "like a brother" and expresses disbelief at his friend's death.
Detective Bob McLaughlin (35:07):
"Well, sorry. The bad news. Ya, he's dead. We found him, oh, about 12:30."
- As Steve grieves, detectives probe further, suspecting that Danny’s death may be linked to a drug deal gone wrong, and start pursuing leads in Galion.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the Investigation’s Complexity
"We gained more insight in just a few hours of roundtable discussion than the past 25 years had to offer. Yet somehow it felt like all we walked away with was questions."
— Host/Investigator (04:03) -
On Cold Case Work for Students
"We really want to make this an immersive learning experience for the students so they're actually working on shit, you know."
— Professor Michael Curtis (08:50) -
On Victimology
“There are very few stranger related deaths in this country. As a matter of fact, the most solved crime in this country is homicide...Because it's somebody in your network.”
— Professor Michael Curtis (10:37) -
Personal Reflection
“I was that kid...It's a young kid...He asphyxiates in a cornfield. Come on, dude. I mean, how you can't classify that as a homicide, I don't know. You can't hang yourself from a cornstalk.”
— Professor Michael Curtis (12:00) -
Danny’s Personal Struggles
“I can remember one night...he just cried. I think he knew that he was going the wrong way, and I just held him.”
— Jane Violet (Danny’s mother, 19:10) -
Breaking the News
"He's like a brother."
— Steve, Danny’s friend (35:04)"Well, sorry. The bad news. Ya, he's dead."
— Detective Bob McLaughlin (35:07)
Timestamps of Important Segments
- 02:21 — Families’ initial reactions and awareness of Danny’s disappearance
- 04:00 — The host and team reflect on the early findings and complexities
- 05:42 — Arrival at Tiffin University to meet Professor Michael Curtis
- 08:50 — Curtis explains the Cold Case Fellowship’s origins and methodology
- 10:15 — Building the “victim tree” approach
- 12:00 — Curtis shares personal identification with Danny’s case
- 19:10 — Jane Violet discusses Danny’s adolescence and behavioral challenges
- 20:52 — Bipolar diagnosis and how it affected Danny
- 22:25 — The day Danny disappeared, mother’s perspective
- 27:31 — Official description of the crime scene and body discovery
- 30:09–36:58 — Police interview with Steve, friend group activity, suspicions of drug debt
- 35:07 — Detective delivers news of Danny’s death to Steve
Episode Tone
The tone is somber, analytical, and empathetic—alternating between the methodical discussions with experts and the deeply human moments with Danny’s family and friends. There is a recurring sense of frustration at the lack of answers and a cautious optimism in the collective investigative effort.
Conclusion
Episode 2 of this Culpable season establishes the intricate groundwork for Danny Violette’s case: the confusion over evidence, complex friend dynamics, mental health struggles, and investigative hurdles. By introducing Professor Curtis and the upcoming involvement of Tiffin University students, it offers hope for renewed scrutiny of the case. The detailed background on Danny humanizes the victim, while the candid interviews with friends and family highlight the emotional cost and ongoing search for the truth.
For updates and tips related to the case, listeners are encouraged to contact culpablepodcast.com or the Huron County Sheriff's Office.