Podcast Summary: Everything They Missed

Episode 1: "Protocol"

Host: Stephanie Tinsley
Date: September 5, 2025

Overview

The inaugural episode of "Everything They Missed" reopens the largely forgotten 2007 Memphis murder of Danny Harris—a father, veteran, and Tennessean found dead under shocking and suspicious circumstances. Host Stephanie Tinsley embarks on a personal, year-long investigation, exposing questionable police work, overlooked evidence, egregious protocol breaches, and the complex web of relationships surrounding Harris’s brutal death. Through unreleased interrogation tapes, expert insights, and fresh interviews, Tinsley sets out to illuminate the unanswered questions suppressing the truth for over a decade.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime Scene and Initial Discovery

• Setting the Scene:
  • Danny Harris, age 55, was discovered after months overdue rent in his Cordova, TN apartment (15 mins outside Memphis).
  • The welfare check revealed a locked apartment, alarm set, “last person to leave knew the code” ([04:00]-[04:42], Jason Gishner).
• Disturbing Details:
  • "The apartment was silent. The AC was cranked as cold as it could go. Air fresheners were plugged in. Glass candles burned down to the wick were scattered around the living room. And a towel had been stuffed under the bedroom door." ([05:03])
  • Harris lay on his bed, severely decomposed, with a towel forcibly stuffed in his mouth, his face unrecognizable, evidence of cleaning fluids on his clothes, and a pacemaker indicating death occurred two months prior ([05:43]-[06:23], Stephanie).

2. Law Enforcement Response & Mishandled Protocol

• Police Entry & Immediate Missteps:
  • Notably, Chris Harris (Danny’s estranged son and local cop) was asked to come to the crime scene before knowing it was his father, an act heavily criticized by retired NYPD detective Joe Jacalone for violating crime scene standards ([11:06]-[12:13]).
  • “The golden rule is you treat every death as suspicious until proven otherwise… you run the risk of trampling a crime scene… The protocol should be every death, the detectives are notified” – Joe Jacalone ([12:13]).
• Evidence Left Untested:
  • No DNA testing on the towel stuffed in Danny’s mouth, comforter, or other key objects ([14:07]).
  • Only 2 out of 5 bloody fingerprints were collected ([14:29]).
  • An overlooked alarm system, untouched bath mat/towels, and unexamined women’s jewelry left on the nightstand.
  • Jacalone: “If you couldn’t figure out that this was a homicide just by looking at what’s going on, then maybe the cops should be writing parking sentences instead… It screams homicide.” ([12:56])

3. Background & Host’s Motivation

• Tinsley reveals her initial draw to true crime and unexpected personal involvement:
  • Her family’s indirect link to the Murdaugh murders, which thrust her behind the scenes with true crime media ([17:46]-[18:25]).
  • Her research led to attorney Jason Gishner and, through a personal school connection, to a case with more questions than answers—a story Gishner was “most nervous to talk about.”
  • “That’s what worries me, is that I’m not ready for this story to be out in the world because once that happens, I lose control of the narrative.” – Jason Gishner ([19:43])

4. The “Protocol” of Investigation: The First 48 and Its Breach

• The crucial “first 48” hours after a murder set the tone for the case, a point repeatedly emphasized by Jacalone; in Danny’s case, not only was this window missed, but every subsequent step compounded the error ([08:59]-[09:20]).
• Det. Jacalone underscores the need for urgency—“The longer it goes, the worse it gets”—but here, weeks passed before discovery, irreparably hampering the investigation ([09:06], [11:39]).

5. Tracking Stolen Property and Rising Suspects

• Danny’s truck, TV, and pistol were stolen. When police traced the truck via informant “Snow” (Janice Jefferson), they linked it to Tammy Vance and her daughter Sarah Lucas, who tried pawning stolen goods ([21:25]-[22:23]).
• Snow tipped police off about the stolen truck, leading to Tammy’s arrest. Attorney Elizabeth Bolling and the host help reconstruct the botched evidence search and snowballing confusion ([22:58]).

6. Tammy Vance: The Companion and Informant

• Tammy and Danny met through Megamates, an old chat line service. Tammy eventually moved in, supporting Danny financially by dating (“doing what she was already doing”) with his knowledge ([27:46]).
• Tammy reported several guests (many men) frequenting Harris’s apartment pre-death, expanding the suspect pool ([28:18]), but soon, under interrogation, she implicated herself and named Wayne Bobo ([28:42]-[29:05]).

7. The Name that Changed Everything

• The “match dropped into gasoline”: Tammy’s mention of Wayne Bobo shifted the investigation’s focus, sparking a cascade of assumptions and investigative shortcuts ([29:05]).
• "This was one of the quickest cases to get closed and one of the most poorly investigated cases I’ve ever seen.” – Jason Gishner ([30:37])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Crime Scene:

• "The smell of death is undeniable. It goes through sheetrock, it goes through ceilings, it goes through walls. Once you've smelled one or two, you can never forget that smell."
  — Joe Jacalone ([03:01])

• “His face was unrecognizable. His skin was so decomposed it had turned black. His shirt and shorts had white stains like they had been splashed with bleach or kerosene. Hanging from his mouth was a towel jammed in with such force it drove a tooth into his lung.”
  — Stephanie Tinsley ([05:43])

On Law Enforcement Failures:

• “If you couldn’t figure out that this was a homicide just by looking… then maybe the cops should be writing parking sentences instead.”
  — Joe Jacalone ([12:56])

• “All of these items they miss sound sloppy and half assed, then I don’t know how else to prepare you for what’s coming. Because it gets worse. Much worse.”
  — Stephanie Tinsley ([15:04])

On the Protocol Breach:

• “Should Chris Harris have been kept away from the crime scene? For all they knew, he could have been a suspect… But he was one of their own. So if there were rules, they bent them quietly.”
  — Stephanie Tinsley ([13:29])

On the Rush to Close:

• "This was one of the quickest cases to get closed and one of the most poorly investigated cases I've ever seen."
  — Jason Gishner ([30:37])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:01]: Joe Jacalone describes the smell of death.
• [05:03]-[05:43]: Discovery of the crime scene and Harris's state.
• [08:59]: Introduction of the "first 48" investigative protocol.
• [11:39]: Issues surrounding decomposition and its investigatory complications.
• [12:13]-[12:56]: Jacalone outlines the failures and why protocol matters.
• [14:07]-[14:29]: Discussion of evidence that was not collected/tested.
• [17:46]-[18:25]: Tinsley’s personal connection to true crime and the Murdaugh case.
• [21:25]-[22:23]: Introduction of informant "Snow" and the connection to Tammy Vance.
• [27:46]: Tammy’s relationship with Danny and her “work” arrangement.
• [28:42]-[29:05]: Tammy implicates herself, brings up Wayne Bobo.
• [30:37]: Summary of the case closure failures.

Tone and Style

Stephanie Tinsley’s approach is direct, evocative, and personal—combining classic true crime documentary with first-person narrative. She’s relentless yet empathetic, determined to ask difficult questions and challenge the official story with meticulous research, candid expert interviews, and a willingness to confront the human cost of missteps.

Conclusion

"Protocol" sets the stage for a season-long investigation into not just who killed Danny Harris, but how justice was derailed by systemic flaws, ignored evidence, and premature closure. Tinsley promises to “trace every name, every lie, every dead end… until it’s outed, who’s responsible.” By airing new evidence and never-before-heard voices, the show offers more than a cold case rehash: it’s a quest for accountability, transparency, and maybe justice—if such a thing is still possible.

For images, documents, or tip submission, listeners are directed to everythingtheymiss.com and Stephanie’s social media for extended content.