Everything They Missed — Episode 3: “Her” (September 18, 2025)

Host: Stephanie Tinsley
Podcast Context: Investigating the long-cold and deeply flawed case of Danny Harris’s 2007 Memphis murder, this episode traces the overlooked evidence, interrogations, and unlikely confessions that shaped (and plagued) the investigation.

Episode Overview

Stephanie Tinsley dives into the heart of the Danny Harris case, focusing on the shocking gaps and contradictions in the investigation and prosecution. The episode explores the key players in the aftermath — especially suspects Sarah Lucas and Tammy Vance — while also unraveling the troubling role that false confessions and police interrogation tactics played in both this and other notorious cases. Expert voices and gut-wrenching testimonials shine a harsh light on a justice system prone to closing cases rather than uncovering the truth.

1. The Hazards of Police Interrogation: Amanda Knox’s Testimony

• Amanda Knox recounts her internationally known ordeal as an example of how deceptive police tactics can ruin lives, regardless of evidence. Speaking before the Washington State Legislature to limit police deception during questioning, she highlights the devastating impact of such practices.

“The worst day of that entire ordeal was the day that I was interrogated overnight by police officers who claimed to have evidence against me…They lied to me. I did not know they could lie to me.”
— Amanda Knox [03:10]

• Stephanie draws a direct line between Knox’s experience and that of Andrew Wayne Hayes (a central suspect in Danny Harris’s case), who confessed under similar “Reid technique” tactics.

2. Following the Evidence: Sarah Lucas, ATM Cards, and Pawn Shops

Evidence Fails and Overlooked Leads

• Key sequence:
  • Danny Harris’s ATM card was used 82 times in the two weeks following his murder ([07:01]).
  • Sarah Lucas (daughter of Tammy Vance) pawned Harris’s stolen electronics at two Memphis shops within days ([06:02], [08:15]).
  • Sarah denied any connection or knowledge, but her name was on the pawn ticket. Despite this, detectives did not pursue her or related phone/ATM evidence aggressively.

“She’s pawning a dead man’s stuff ... It’s a TV, it’s a VCR, it’s electronic equipment that was stolen from his apartment. So all within days of, you know, immediately after—and then within days of this murder.”
— Jason Gishner, Attorney [08:15]

• Critical error: The stolen checkbook fingerprints were not checked against Sarah until after she fled the state ([13:40]).

3. Timeline Tangle: Phones, Pacemakers, and Unanswered Calls

• Detailed account of Harris's final hours:
  • His cell phone records and pacemaker logs pinpoint the time of death and link calls made immediately before and after, tightening the timeline ([09:01]–[11:28]).
  • Calls involved Sarah Lucas, Heather (Tammy’s other daughter), and the Megamates chat line used by Tammy for prostitution.
  • Ongoing phone activity weeks after Harris’s death pointed to ongoing cover-ups ([12:27]).

4. The Anatomy of a False Confession

Expert Perspectives

• Dr. Richard Offshee (false confession/interrogation expert):
  • Explains how suspects like Andrew Hayes get manipulated into confessing through repeated suggestion, threats, and promises ([16:41]–[18:24]).
  • Describes the Reid technique: emotional pressure, deception, promises of leniency/harm, and why such practices risk false confessions.

“They contaminated all those facts by telling him what to say, which they can do when it’s not recorded, but they don’t dare do when it is recorded.”
— Dr. Richard Offshee [18:40]

• Dr. Richard Leo (Psychology/Law):

  • Clarifies that extended interrogations, threats, and failure to record are not officially endorsed even by Reid method standards ([20:48]).
  • Stresses that police officers often discount the reality of false confessions, believing their own gut over evidence ([21:11]).

• David Owens (Murdaugh case lead investigator):

  • Differentiates between interviews and interrogations, criticizing accusatory tactics and unsubstantiated claims about evidence.

“I have been through the training. I wasn’t a fan of it…I never liked the part [of the Reid technique] where you say ‘I’ve got your fingerprints, I know you were there.’”
— David Owens [22:47]

Horrors of the System

• Lack of recording interrogations is the rule, not the exception; even when confessions are made, there’s rarely an audio or video record of how they were produced, leading to wrongful convictions ([27:52]).
• Case parallel: Jason Strong confessed after hours of pressure to a crime he never committed ([27:03]).

“The moment you sign that paper, you’re fucked...Until you’re in that situation, you don’t really know what you would do. You give somebody enough time to work on you—even some of the bravest among us can collapse.”
— Jason Strong [27:03]

5. Why Don’t Police Record Interrogations?

• Dr. Offshee bluntly states:

“Because they want to be able to do anything that they need to do to get a confession. Because they're more interested in closing the case than they are in making sure that they're not putting away somebody who's innocent. Simple.”
— Dr. Richard Offshee [28:51]

• Systemic barriers:
  • Recording recommendations ignored.
  • Over 20 states, including Tennessee, do not require it ([24:48]).

6. Revisiting the Suspects: Andrew Hayes, Mental Disability & Polygraph Hope

• Clark Chapman (private investigator) recalls meeting Andrew; his emotional reaction and intellectual disability (IQ of 62, third-grade level) deeply influenced his vulnerability in interrogation ([31:39]–[32:17]).
• Andrew’s desperate faith in a polygraph—the “magic ticket”—shattered when told it couldn’t help due to his mental limitations ([33:44]–[34:16]).
• Chapman describes Andrew’s devastation:

“Andrew thought this was the day—the day he'd finally get his polygraph. But when Clark gently told him it wasn’t happening…it wouldn’t be happening at all. Andrew broke. In his third-grade level mind, this test was the magic ticket…the thing that would prove he was innocent…But instead he collapsed into sobs. 'I’m never getting out,' he told Clark. 'I really don’t have a chance now.'”
— Stephanie Tinsley [34:27]

7. Tammy Vance’s Pivotal Confession: Guilt & Secrets

• Tammy, already sentenced to life plus 12, breaks down when re-interviewed by Chapman.
  • Claimed neither she nor Andrew were involved in the murder.
  • Suggested she was protecting someone “above” her and had witnessed (but not planned) the murder.
  • Her emotional collapse and refusal to reveal the actual killer suggest unresolved secrets—and the possibility of a larger conspiracy or cover-up ([36:27]–[37:51]).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Amanda Knox: “I believe that if I had not been lied to by the police, none of this would have ever happened.” [04:53]
• Stephanie Tinsley: “The circle of suspicion feels pretty small. For me, it comes down to a mother and daughter. But then there are details that just don’t sit right.” [15:29]
• Clark Chapman: “There’s something wrong here. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.” [32:17]
• Tammy Vance (via Chapman): “Andrew had nothing to do with it.” [36:27]

Timestamps for Critical Segments

• Amanda Knox testimony/interrogation parallel: [01:33] – [05:00]
• ATM, pawn shops, evidence trail: [06:01] – [09:01]
• Timeline/pacemaker/phone calls: [09:01] – [12:27]
• Sarah Lucas fingerprints & flight: [13:15] – [13:46]
• Dr. Offshee on false confession science: [16:41] – [18:40]
• David Owens on police interviews/interrogations: [22:41] – [24:48]
• Case studies: Central Park Five, Jason Strong: [26:38] – [27:52]
• Recording interrogations & systemic critique: [27:52] – [29:07]
• Clark Chapman recounts Andrew’s struggle: [31:39] – [34:27]
• Tammy Vance’s confession & emotional breakdown: [36:27] – [37:51]

Episode Tone & Takeaways

Direct, relentless, and empathetic—Stephanie maintains a tone of determined skepticism. The episode doesn’t pass easy judgment. Instead, it lays out the devastating consequences of investigative shortcuts, manipulation, and indifference. By combining forensic detail (call logs, evidence trails) with raw, affected human voices, “Her” illustrates how truth can be hidden by those who are supposed to uncover it, and how the cost of mistakes is measured in entire stolen lives.

To follow up:

• Listeners are encouraged to visit everythingtheymiss.com for extended material and contact.
• Next week promises the next piece of the mystery—and perhaps the person Tammy hinted at protecting.