Still a Blur | 2

Summary

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.

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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.

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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:
  1. Know the victim (lifestyle, habits, relationships)
  2. Map all associates (“very few stranger related deaths”)
  3. 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.

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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)

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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

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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.

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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.

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For updates and tips related to the case, listeners are encouraged to contact culpablepodcast.com or the Huron County Sheriff's Office.

Transcript

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[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

So that noise you heard, the banging. I Woke up on 22 July 2015 to that noise coming from my front door. At the end of my bed, staring out of my window, there is someone standing.

[Host/Investigator]

She is terrified.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

She says the words to me, Whatever you do, do not turn on the lights.

[Jane Violet (Danny's Mother)]

Mrs. Phillips suffered at least 41 stab.

[Host/Investigator]

Wounds to the head, neck and torso.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Does anyone know what show they've come to see? Well, it's a story and it's about the scariest night of my life.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Listen to Wisecrack Starting on September 2nd on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts to binge. Wisecrack ad free. Subscribe to Tenderfoot plus at tenderfootplus.com.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Culpable.

[Narrator/Producer]

Is released every Monday and brought to you absolutely free. But for early binge access, ad free listening and exclusive content, subscribe to Tenderfoot [e-mail] or on Apple Podcasts.

[Host/Investigator]

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals interviewed and participating in the show and do not represent those of Tenderfoot tv. All individuals described or mentioned in the podcast should be considered innocent until found.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Guilty in a court of law.

[Host/Investigator]

This podcast contains subject matter such as violence, drug use and other graphic descriptions which may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

It never got to the point where I didn't think he was ever going to come back.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

We put posters up around and we.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Were just kind of thinking, what could have happened? And then obviously we found out what happened. At this point, it still seems unreal. Did he die there?

[Host/Investigator]

I don't know.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Was he walking home?

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Why would he go through the cornfield?

[Host/Investigator]

They said he died of asphyxiation.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

That's as far as I know.

[Host/Investigator]

What happened.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

After that? Kind of a. Kind of a blur.

[Host/Investigator]

Well, that was something.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Yeah. What do you think?

[Host/Investigator]

It sure is compelling, man. I think it's got the potential to really get people talking.

[Narrator/Producer]

Yeah, it Definitely seems like a case where there's not any shortage of theories or rabbit holes to go down. I think ultimately it just comes down to.

[Host/Investigator]

After an initial review of Danny's case file, along with his family and Danielle and Eric, it was abundantly clear just how much we had to unpack. We gained more insight and 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. I'm starting to see where the family's coming from. There's just so much about this case that remains unclear. Well, obviously, I guess time will tell the more we dig in, but there's plenty of evidence here that points to foul play. It's just too many. 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? Did somebody run him over after killing him or before the supposed money that was, like, ripped up around him. Same thing there. Could he have owed somebody money? Is that some sort of sign for something from the day before he went missing to this crime scene itself once he was found? There's just. There's so much mystery and question marks and possibilities there.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Yeah.

[Narrator/Producer]

I'm curious to see how much more.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Of a difference could we make if we actually link arms with them and.

[Narrator/Producer]

Try and dig in into this with him.

[Host/Investigator]

I said in the first episode that finding answers to this case would take a group effort. And I'm a firm believer in giving credit where it's due. During our stay in Greenwich, Danielle informed us that there was someone else she'd given a copy of the files to. A person that should be able to help us in our efforts, who happens to work just a short drive from here.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Turn left onto Wall Street.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Then your destination will be on the right. Your destination is on the right.

[Host/Investigator]

My producer John and I pull into a crowded parking lot on the campus of Tiffin University, a college about 30 minutes outside of Willard. We're looking for a burly, middle aged man with a fresh buzz cut. At least that's what I gathered from his profile picture on the university's website. Second. Oh, yeah, I think that's him.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Right? Hey there.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

How's it going?

[Host/Investigator]

Good, how are you?

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Good.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Michael Curtis Dennis. Nice to meet you.

[Host/Investigator]

Hey, I'm John.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Hey, John. Nice to meet you.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Yeah, you too.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

I'm gonna walk this way.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Yeah.

[Host/Investigator]

So I didn't realize I was talking to Daniel. So you all have sat down and met before?

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Yes.

[Host/Investigator]

Okay.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Very good. Was that just like before?

[Professor Michael Curtis]

I guess, the decision, you know, I generally. I generally get my cases from agencies, so I really haven't had any conversations with the agencies in reference to this case. Everything that she has is foia, just like us.

[Host/Investigator]

Michael learned about this case through Danielle, who seems to have a high success rate with cold emails. She reached out to him about Danny's case after seeing the work that he and his students were doing here at Tiffin University.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

That's my office.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Yeah.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

We'll go into the fellowship center.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Okay.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

So I'm really using what she's giving me right now. Ultimately, I'll sit down with the agency.

[Host/Investigator]

And let him know we're looking at it. We follow Michael into a rather large classroom with an open floor plan. Several tables line the walls with a TV screen mounted beside each. On the center wall, there's a very prominent green and yellow decal that reads Cold Case Fellowship Program.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

And then we started this two years ago.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Okay.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

And I was chosen to run it, so.

[Jane Violet (Danny's Mother)]

Nice.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Yeah.

[Host/Investigator]

That's awesome.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Yeah, it's pretty cool. We're actually knocking that wall out right there in the next couple weeks. And we're expanding. Well, we have 30 now. We'll have 60 in the fall.

[Host/Investigator]

Wow.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

So we really. We're growing.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Wow.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Yeah. So 30. 30.

[Host/Investigator]

Michael works as an associate professor here at Tiffin, teaching courses in criminal law and other related fields in addition to running their Cold Case Fellowship program. But he took a rather long road to get here. If you hadn't already guessed, he grew up around Boston, Massachusetts. He's a veteran of the US Navy. He also served on the police force in Weirton, West Virginia, where he worked in a lot of different capacities, including being a detective. He's a licensed attorney and even owned his own firm. And he also used to coach wrestling, the sport Danny played, which is how he developed a passion for teaching and eventually wound up here at Tiffin doing what he loves. Where did the vision for this program come from? Can you walk me through, like, how.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Yeah. You know, I want to say it had its genesis in, like, the admissions department, because kids, you know, these kids all watch csi. They all think they're going to be crime scene investigators. They all think that they're going to be FBI behavioral profile analysts.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Right.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Well, I'll never dash anybody's dreams, Right? But that's not reality. Reality is, is The FBI has 100 profiles. They accept 1 in 10,000 applications. You know, if you get that job, great. I'm rooting for you to get it? But a lot of them wanted to look into these cool cases. 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? And the president and the provost were all about like Staughton fellowships, which were like practically oriented in immersive learning experiences, but it also, you know, put asses in seats. You know, the program sells itself. It's not really anything I do, you know. Yeah, it just sells itself. So, you know, I'm a formal criminal justice guy and no pun intended, but I would have killed for an opportunity to do something like this when I was in college. You know, at the end of the day, we really want to make this an immersive learning experience for the students so they're actually working on shit, you know.

[Host/Investigator]

Michael believes the best way to learn is a hands on approach. He says, let the kids do it and they'll never forget it. At the start of the fall semester, his students will start researching Danny's case. He invited us to come back and see their work firsthand. But in the meantime, he clued us in on their general approach. He says, first you have to know your victim, which has always been where I like to start.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

I'll show you what I have him do. You know, there's a method to my madness, kind of, but I have them build trees.

[Host/Investigator]

Oh, cool.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

And that way you have this, right? And you can refer to it as you're reading through the case. Right. So, you know, you build that tree.

[Host/Investigator]

You create a timeline so you know.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Who all the players are. There are very few stranger related deaths in this country. As a matter of fact, the most solved crime in this country is homicide.

[Narrator/Producer]

Why?

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Because it's somebody in your network, right? It's somebody that you work with, you love, you've had a relationship with. We want to know their network, we want to know that person. Who were they? What was their lifestyle? Lifestyle kills, right? If you're a drug addict and you're a prostitute and, and, and you're still a whole human person, but those factors aggravate your lifestyle and they cause your untimely death. Right.

[Host/Investigator]

You're definitely gonna need a tree on.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Yeah.

[Host/Investigator]

Danny's case. Yeah, I was thinking about that the other night. You know, I've done okay with most of the case we've done to never. I make my own sort of tree and notes, I guess you could say. But most of them haven't had this dense a list of people attached to it.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

There's A lot happening here. There's a lot going on here.

[Host/Investigator]

A lot.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

You know, this redacted shit don't help, dude, because I'm in there and I'm reading it again.

[Host/Investigator]

This case is unique in that Michael didn't receive the files directly from the investigative agency. The Huron County Sheriff's Office didn't request that his fellowship review this case. Danielle did. And Michael jumped at the opportunity. He said he was intrigued by Danny's case for a couple reasons. For one, from a victimology standpoint, he felt a connection to him.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

I was that kid. I mean, I wasn't a drug user, but I was a wrestler and rambunctious and getting in trouble and doing all those things. And it's a young kid. It's a 17 year old kid, right? Which is. 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. And if he had, there would be evidence that he had done that. There would be a belt or whatever he was asphyxiated with.

[Host/Investigator]

The other reason Michael was so drawn to this case is because, based on just a brief review, he felt it was solvable despite its age.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

We have evidence, we have witnesses, we have suspects. So we have a lot of solvability factors here. Unfortunately, there's also some impediments. We don't have a solid suspect, we don't have a murder weapon. I think one of the reasons why BCI turned it down is because there was DNA, but it wasn't enough to test. There was fingerprints they submitted. The APHIS hasn't hit on anybody, so there's evidence there. It's just a matter of, you know, being able to use it.

[Host/Investigator]

While Michael always considers the solvability factors when reviewing a cold case, he also recognizes that it takes a thorough understanding of the investigation and a very conscious effort to change the outcome, especially in a case as old as this one. If Danielle had reached out a semester earlier before obtaining the files, it's unlikely that Michael and his students would have taken it because there's so many limitations when you have virtually no information to work with. Thankfully, that shouldn't be a problem for any of us.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Oh, there she is.

[Host/Investigator]

What do you got there?

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Uh, oh, files with an accordion folder. You know, I have seven binders.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Wow. So good. That's worked for me.

[Host/Investigator]

Near the end of our visit with Michael, Danielle popped in unannounced. She'd been hard at work Reviewing the steady stream of information that's been pouring in and had some more documents she wanted to share.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

So you get all kinds of stuff there. Am I gonna get that stuff?

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Well, yeah, I thought. I mean, you might.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

I like how organized you are.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Right.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Save a lot of word for me.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

So what I have, I have, of course, like, the actual files, and you can go through and go through redactions if you want to. And then I have, like, the main theories that we have. I have, like, the conversations that pertain to them. Then other things that I just thought were important to note. I mean, you're welcome. You're welcome to take all of it you can just look at.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Yeah. I mean, the more information I have, the better it is for me.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Okay.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

To be honest with you.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Okay.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Where do you want to start?

[Professor Michael Curtis]

I'd like to, if you're willing.

[Host/Investigator]

Figuring out where to start with this case is a challenge in and of itself. Like I said in the first episode, there's a lot of information to sort through, and on top of that, there's no real order to it. That's what Danielle's been working on, organizing it, one of her fortes. We could attack this many different ways, but for me, I think I'll take a page out of Michael's book and approach this the same way his students would. Let's build a tree of sorts to get a better understanding of our victim, Danny Violet. Then we'll expand from there.

[Jane Violet (Danny's Mother)]

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[Host/Investigator]

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[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

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[Host/Investigator]

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[Host/Investigator]

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[Professor Michael Curtis]

You have to know the person. You have to know the individual that we're looking at. We want to know their network. We want to know that person. Who were they? What was their lifestyle? Lifestyle kills.

[Host/Investigator]

When Professor Michael Curtis gives his students a case, he says the first thing he has them do is build a tree around the victim. From there, you determine their network and ultimately piece together a timeline. So before we dive into the investigation, let's first make sure we have a good understanding of our victim. We know Danny had his problems. His brother Drew told me he struggled with school, especially near the end of his life. He attributes a lot of that to his drug and alcohol use. We also know that Danny had his strengths. He was brave, protective, and he also had a lot of physical strength. He was a promising young wrestler and not someone you'd want to pick a fight with. At least not solo. These are all important things to consider, but there's a few other things you should know about Danny that I learned courtesy of his mother, Jane. She told me from the time Danny was born, he was a handful. But she never minded that he had a way of keeping life interesting. And of course, as a child, it was always so innocent. But that started changing when Danny became a teenager. It started off pretty unassuming, spending less time at home and more time with friends, a common trend in teenagers. But over time, things began to escalate.

[Jane Violet (Danny's Mother)]

I remember when he was starting to get into trouble, he shoplifted some cigarettes at a grocery store one night. I just was walking at the park because it was by our house, you know, So I just. And he's over there at the pavilion, and he's sitting there with some friends, and he had gasoline in a cup, like, sniffing. So I made him come home. But I think it was the cigarettes where he had to go to court, and the judge made him write a paper about why he was having these problems. And 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. And I thought that was highly accurate. He could be influenced both ways, and I think he recognized that. I can remember one night, I had already gone to bed, and I got up, and I remember we were standing in the hallway, and he just cried. I think he knew that he was going the wrong way, and I just held him.

[Host/Investigator]

What Jane didn't realize yet was there was so much more going on inside of Danny than your typical teenage angst. This would come to light his sophomore year at the age of 16, when Danny started exhibiting some rather abnormal behavior in class.

[Jane Violet (Danny's Mother)]

They called from school and said that he was acting really weird and come and get him. So I went and got him and couldn't quit talking and didn't really seem to know what he was saying. And I had to take him over to Norwalk, a center they had there to evaluate. And they said that he needed to go to the psych hospital. So I took him over there, and he had to stay, and they got him stabilized after about a week or two.

[Host/Investigator]

During his stay at the hospital, Danny was diagnosed with with bipolar disorder, often referred to as manic depression. Simply put, bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme shifts in a person's mood and energy. Think highs and lows. Danny was prescribed lithium, a mood stabilizer known to treat the effects of bipolar disorder, along with Seroquel, an antipsychotic medication. And the drugs did seem to help him, at least at times. In a similar way, the diagnosis helped Jane to better understand some of his behavior, but it certainly didn't make things any easier. He grew even more detached and continued to use illegal substances while also taking his prescribed medications, a rather dangerous combination that would eventually land him back in the psych ward. Jane says he didn't go so easily the second time, which always made her wonder if that could have been the reason why he fled after that brief and strange encounter they had on Saturday.

[Jane Violet (Danny's Mother)]

When I saw him that last day when he came home, I thought that he was going through the same type of thing again. And I went to get his dad and when I got back, he was gone. After he disappeared, I felt he was afraid I was going to take him to the psych hospital. He always hated that he didn't want to go back and I thought that's why he ran away.

[Host/Investigator]

She says the thought of admitting Danny never crossed her mind because whatever was going on with him that day, the weird behavior she described to me, it seemed different from anything she'd experienced with him in the past. She only went to wake his dad because she was confused and worried about him. But for whatever reason, fear of repercussions, a trip to the psych ward or something completely unrelated, Danny wasn't having it. He fled at the first opportunity. As for where he went after that, it's kind of hard to say, but we'll get there. What we do know is where he was eventually found. A rather unexpected discovery that would prompt an official death investigation. Saturday, November 4, 1998 was supposed to be a normal day for John Wiles. Shortly before noon, the middle aged farmer climbed onto his large bright green combine and started up the engine. It was harvest day for a cornfield on town Line Road 12. The stalks there were fully matured, practically obscuring the ground beneath. He drove up one row and down the next, over and over, cutting through the crop. He'd been at it for roughly an hour when he noticed something out of the ordinary from his perch. He couldn't quite make out what it was, so he stopped the engine and climbed down to take a closer look. It had a distinct shape to it, resembling a body, but the farmer reasoned with himself, surely it's just a dummy. He inched closer and closer until he was within six feet. That's when he realized the gravity of what he'd just stumbled upon. He immediately placed a call to 911 at approximately 12:18pm to report a dead body. As authorities made their way to the scene, he called his wife, who happened to be a dispatcher, and asked her if a young male had been missing from the area. She confirmed it was the boy from Willard that everyone had been looking for, 17 year old Danny Violet. Within minutes, authorities flooded the scene.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

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[Host/Investigator]

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[Host/Investigator]

Adams, I see you're trying to distract yourself from your own banal thoughts. Let me help. Here's a recording thing made of my latest Root Canal.

[Jane Violet (Danny's Mother)]

Wednesday Season 2 is now playing only on Netflix.

[Host/Investigator]

Since Danny's body was found just outside of Willard City limits, his case would actually fall into the hands of the Huron County Sheriff's Office, not the Willard Police Department, though you'll learn that both agencies would end up working the case in some capacity, as would the BCI. Former captain of the Huron County Sheriff's Office, Robert McLaughlin, who you'll hear referred to as Bob, would be the lead detective. Here's what he reported after arriving at the scene.

[Narrator/Producer]

Upon arrival on town Line Road 12 time approximately 12:52 I spoke with Sergeant Patrick, Corporal Kerber, Willard Police Department, Patrolman Todd Kaufman, Detective Terry Robinson and James Wiles. Mr. Wiles farms this area and was in the process of harvesting corn when he found the body of Daniel Violet. The body was lying face up with arms extended. He was wearing blue jeans, Hanes underwear and black Nike tennis shoes which were not tied. 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. When officers opened the right hand, the fingers caused white spots on the palm. There was dried mud on the right side of Violet's face as if he had been lying face down or the right side of his face came in contact with the ground. There was a mark on the throat which stretched to the side of his neck. This mark, according to the coroner, was the only mark that was not made post mortem at approximately 1403, BCI agent David Barnes arrived on the scene. He was advised of the situation and started his crime scene investigation which included 35 millimeter photographs of the area. Crime scene sketch of the area, measurements From Townline Road 12 to the body 479.8ft. Also 22ft north of the body, Agent Barnes and I measured an area in which corn had been knocked down. This area measured 31ft by 14ft. At approximately 15:11, Detective Terry Robinson, Patrolman Kaufman and I secured the area and met at the Willard Police Department to conduct interviews with Violet's friends.

[Host/Investigator]

Detectives would interview several of Danny's friends that day. But the first one to arrive at the station was Danny's fellow wrestling mate Steve. Lead detective Bob McLaughlin with the Huron County Sheriff's Office would conduct the interview. Detective Terry Robinson with the Willard Police Department was also present. As Steve is ushered into a small room for questioning things feel oddly casual. McLaughlin asks him to call his brother Sam and have him come down to the station and he obliges. Then McLaughlin sits down at a desk and Steve takes one of the two chairs across from him. He seems fairly at ease. Call it optimism I suppose. But he doesn't appear to have any idea of the news that awaited him.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

I'm Bob McLaughlin with the Hern County Sheriff's Department and we're wondering whether or not you can help us out up. We're trying to find out anything we can about Danny Violet. If you can shed any light on anything as far as where he might be, where he. Where he might have been.

[Professor Michael Curtis]

Let's see.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Friday he went yelling with Adam.

[Host/Investigator]

I want to pause here for a moment to help you follow along with this. I told you before that Danny spent the night of Friday October 23rd with some of his friends and failed to notify his parents leaving that night and the morning of Saturday October 24th in question. There's going to be a lot of talk around these two days and you'll hear the following friends mentioned in reference to Steve who you just heard Judd, Adam and Matt. These four guys plus Danny make up the group of five who spent the better part of Friday night and Saturday morning together. Now let's keep listening.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Friday night Adam and Matt went scallion. I was at the football game. I went to mass about 1 o' clock in the morning. They were there. One of Judds Danny was acting weird. I guess he got some drugs with Scallion. That's what I heard. Took him to Judds. He like I don't Know what you want to say? He was, like, in convulsions or something from the drugs. Okay. And what kind of drugs did he get? Acid. Did you see it? No, I didn't see it. He. You know, it's what he went for. He talked about that the whole week was a paper or whatever. Yeah, it was paper. Yeah. If there was any kind of. Kind of markings on it. Just paper. Just paper. Ass. I. Something. I got it from some guy named. That's all I know from guy. Yeah. Okay. Did. Did he tell you that he got. Well, he talks about. He's like, yeah, he's gonna hook me up with some acid. So, you know, whatever, you know, none of my business. He goes, pioneer, I go to high school. I don't know how it goes on.

[Host/Investigator]

According to Steve, the individual whose name is redacted, lived in the neighboring town of gallion, about 30 minutes away, while most of Danny's friends lived in Willard and attended Willard High. Danny, on the other hand, went to Pioneer Vocational School, where he was classmates with this redacted individual and his aforementioned friend Adam, who made the trip with him that night.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

So he was talking about getting some ass? Yeah. Was he getting it for himself, or did he want to go ahead and sell it to make money? He got. He was gonna sell it. Okay, what happened then? He, like, I don't know. It was like, after he stopped, like, I don't know what you want. I don't know if there's. I don't know what slang. He's, like, unconscious. But he, like, just kept, like, moving and stuff, you know, he's like, just, yeah, triff and whatever. I don't know. And the next morning he woke up and, like, he could, like. He couldn't put sentences together. Like, he talked to me, say, hey, Steve. And he, like, say something, like, totally weird about something about TV or the plan or he was acting, like, totally weird. And.

[Host/Investigator]

To summarize, after school on Friday, Friday, October 23, Steve says he and Judd went to the Willard High football game. Meanwhile, Danny and two other friends, Adam and Matt, drove to the neighboring town of Galleon to purchase some acid, also known as lsd, a psychedelic drug known to alter one's perception of reality. By 1am Saturday, the group met up at Matt's place sometime later. Steve doesn't specify when they left Matt's and went to Judd's house, where they stayed for the remainder of the night. What's most alarming about all this is what Steve had to say about Danny's physical state. That Night. He said he was acting weird and then went on to describe what sounds like a seizure. He said Danny was having convulsions and appeared unconscious, yet was moving. Eventually those symptoms subsided, but come Saturday morning, Danny still wasn't impressed himself. Which could explain the odd encounter Jane had with him when he eventually returned home that afternoon.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

I told Adam to stay with Danny the whole time. You know, don't let him get out of your sight. You don't know what he's gonna do. I went home to shower and I came back and Adam told me. He says Danny went home. So first thing I did, I called Danny's house. His mom said he took off, so he went. He went to his home. That the marriage is back again. That would have been on Saturday. Bad afternoon? No, we're not talking about this pastor anymore.

[Host/Investigator]

Steve tells McLaughlin that he hadn't seen Danny since that morning. Nor could he confirm if any other friends had seen him. Only a few rumored sightings. He thought maybe Danny had hopped on a train just to get away, referencing some recent conflict between him and his parents. When McLaughlin asks if anybody's got it in for Danny or is upset with him, Steve assuredly tells him no. Then McLaughlin finally breaks the news to him, and in rather cold fashion.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

How close are you with Danny?

[Host/Investigator]

He's like a brother.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Well, sorry. The bad news. Ya, he's dead. We found him, oh, about 12:30.

[Host/Investigator]

It's hard to watch Steve as he processes this. A long stare at McLoughlin, followed by a glance out the window to his left, then back to McLoughlin, then back to the window. As if he wanted to escape the reality he had been faced with. That his friend, his brother, as he puts it, was dead. He slumps his head down to shoulder level, then down to his chest, then nearly to his lap, bracing it with an open palm. Then the tears start to form. After a brief pause, McLoughlin starts to open up a little more and their conversation resumes.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

It looks like it's. Looks like it was because of some kind of altercation. We don't know dead for what. That's what we need to know from you. Everything to find out. How? Well, it looks like it was an assault that got out of hand. It looks like somebody just was really upset with him. That's why we need to know from you, everything you can tell us, right? Why? Maybe it was the dope deal going bad. Maybe it was something else. We don't know where he's been. That's the problem.

[Host/Investigator]

Remember when Steve first entered the room, he didn't appear to have any suspicion that Danny was dead. Despite the lengthy disappearance, he'd held on to hope that Danny was just hiding out somewhere, avoiding life's problems. But after receiving word of his death and a hint that it involved foul play, you can see his wheels start to turn. He perks up in his chair. He has a little more information to share.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

Somebody was very upset with. It was either over the dope or he was either tied up with somebody else that we don't know. No, we're just trying to locate the kid located wherever he was with. Well, well, well, well, well, well. Kessel told me if he didn't get tomato that he's gonna beat his ass. Castle. Adam. How's everybody? I know. I know Danny. It's gonna take more. One person to do that to Danny. Oh, it was more than one.

[Host/Investigator]

I want to make sure you caught what he just said there. He said a few days after Danny's disappearance, he got wind from Adam, who went to school with the redacted individual who supplied the acid, that if Danny didn't repay him the money he was owed, he was going to, quote, beat his ass. Implying that Danny didn't actually purchase the acid that night. Rather it was fronted to him. In other words, Danny owed a debt to this person. The moment Steve makes mention of this, Detective Robinson with the Willard police stands up and exits the room while McLaughlin continues the conversation.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

I want to find this guy, whoever it was. I mean, I want to find him. I don't want you guys to find him. I don't, you know, I want you looking. I want you looking out, going out, getting bus guys in the car and going out looking. It's gonna happen. Well, what do you want me to do? He's my best. I just want you brother. I can understand that. So I want you to work with me on this. I didn't think anything like that. We just got out of hand, Steve. It just went crazy. I mean, it's one of those things. It could very well have been just the simple fact that wanted his money back. Didn't get it fast enough or they get it at all and he just got upset. So if that's the case, well, you better keep away from me. That's all I gotta say. You've never met him before? No, I'm going to. Well, I'm sorry to tell you, but he's a brother. Sorry. What's going on, man? He's a brother, man. Sorry. That bothered him. Too bad. She ain't right. Nobody deserves to die. Yeah. Castle just told that kiss. Oh my God. Daddy better get the money back to him or he's gonna beat his ass. Yes, he's fighting for your brother. We had dreams, man. Go to state wrestling. I don't see what in the world would ever make you a fake, Smith. Life. Nothing. I don't see how.

[Host/Investigator]

As Steve starts to break down yet again, McLaughlin steps out of the room momentarily. A minute later, Detective Robinson returns, and in a move you don't see often in situations like these, Robinson puts his arm around Steve and starts to console him. Before the two exit the room together, he'd given detectives a lot of information to work with, and most importantly, their first lead. Now they need to follow up with the rest of Danny's friends to get a better understanding of Friday night before ultimately making a trip to the neighboring town of Gallion to track down this person of interest.

[Detective Bob McLaughlin]

November 5, 1998. Time was approximately 12:20. Grew up in residence. His mother and father present along with Detective Scott Guy and PD and passengers investigated by McDowell. Human kind of Prosecutor's office. Okay.

[Host/Investigator]

That'S next time.

[Narrator/Producer]

Culpable is a production of Tenderfoot TV in partnership with Odyssey, written and hosted by Dennis Cooper. Our senior producer is John Street. Our producer is Jamie Albright. Edit, mix and sound design by Dayton Cole. Voice acting by Sean Nurney. Special thanks to Tiffin University. You can follow us on social media culpablepodcast. And lastly, if you have any information about the death of Danny Violet, please fill out the form on our website culpablepodcast.com or contact the Huron County Sheriff's Office at 419-668-691. A new episode of Culpable will release next Monday, but you can binge additional episodes right now ad free by subscribing to Tenderfoot plus on Apple Podcasts or at tenderfootplus.com.