MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Episode: The Bedroom Window (Podcast Exclusive)

Date: December 1, 2025
Host: John Allen (MrBallen)

Episode Overview

In this haunting true-crime episode, MrBallen tells the tragic and chilling story of Linda Slayton, a single mother brutally murdered in her bedroom in Lakeland, Florida, in 1981. The narrative dives into the immediate aftermath, the stalled investigation, and the decades-long quest for justice that would ultimately reveal a shocking, personal betrayal at the hands of someone trusted by her family. The episode masterfully combines forensic intrigue, emotional depth, and a reminder of the cold persistence both of evil and of those seeking justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Life Before the Crime (01:47–08:50)

• Linda Slayton: A resourceful, newly single mother, recently relocated to Lakeland, FL, seeking stability for her two sons, Jeff (15) and Tim (12).
• Struggles: Financial hardship, making ends meet through government assistance, food stamps, and sewing her boys’ clothes.
• Neighborhood: Recent move to a subsidized suburban-style development; Linda’s sister lives nearby, community is mostly new residents.
• Relationships: Recent breakup with a controlling boyfriend (Brendan Fowler), and an abusive ex-husband (Frank Slayton) still harassing her by mail.
• Ordinary Evening Turned Grim:
  • Preparing bean casserole with sparse pantry supplies.
  • Typical teenage conflict: fight with Jeff over dinner timing (“Well, if you don’t like it here, you can leave!” — Linda, 05:00).
  • Jeff storms out, goes to his grandmother’s for dinner.
  • Linda and Tim attend a neighbor’s housewarming party, a small gesture of hope and normalcy.

The Murder (08:50–10:57)

• Discovery: Next morning, Linda’s sister Judy finds Linda, apparently asleep, through the bedroom window (screen missing), but quickly realizes her sister is dead.
  • “But then Judy realized there was something off about Linda. Like the way she was positioned just seemed wrong. And when everything clicked for her, she staggered backwards and began to scream.” (10:27)
• Family Trauma: Linda’s sons, Jeff and Tim, are still asleep at the time, unaware their mother is dead just a room away.

Crime Scene & Initial Investigation (12:18–18:00)

• Sergeant Edgar Pickett: Veteran crime scene investigator, highlights methodical evidence collection and initial theorizing.
  • All doors locked; entry only through bedroom window (screen missing).
  • Linda was strangled with a metal coat hanger (assumed taken from closet), bloodied bed, evidently sexually assaulted.
  • No signs of robbery; purse and jewelry untouched.
  • Picks up on the theory the killer hid in the closet before the attack—premeditation implied.
  • Key forensic find: “There on the ledge was a very clear, well defined handprint.” (16:50)

Suspects & Dead Ends (18:00–26:00)

• Suspect Pool:
  • Ex-husband Frank Slayton: Violent, alibi confirmed in Alabama.
  • Ex-boyfriend Brendan Fowler: Polygraph inconclusive; fingerprints do not match.
  • Neighbors from party: Alibis and fingerprints checked, no match.
  • Jeff Slayton (Linda’s son): Scrutiny due to proximity and recent arguments, but polygraph passed, fingerprints do not match, considered unlikely.
• Forensic Limits (1981): Blood typing could rule out suspects but not confirm identity.
• Serial Break-ins: Subsequent non-lethal break-in attempts in neighborhood fuel theory of serial predator.

A Cold Case for Decades (27:54–36:30)

• Detective Brad Grice Reopens Case (2001):

  • Advances in DNA mean the case could now be solved through new evidence processing.
  • Re-interviews all possible suspects, including both Slayton brothers; collects DNA for comprehensive testing.
  • Emotional toll on the family recounted—Jeff sleeping with a knife, dropping out of high school, Tim relying on football for stability.
    • “They both said they were terrified that, you know, they were going to get hurt, too, because the killer was never caught. They felt like, you know, who's next?” (30:30)
  • Tests neighbors and serial predator suspects (like Jimmy Ulmer, known home invader) — all DNA tests are negative.

• No Matches:

  • Despite extensive re-testing, no one matches the DNA profile.
  • Grice retires in 2015, calls Jeff to apologize for not solving his mother’s murder.

Breakthrough & Resolution (2019) (36:30–42:00)

• Genetic Genealogy:

  • New detective leverages genealogical DNA databases to triangulate to the killer’s relatives.
  • A familial DNA lead finally matches a suspect: Joseph Mills.

• The Killer Identified:

  • Joseph Mills: Tim Slayton’s football coach, regular visitor to the home, previously interviewed (over phone) but never considered a prime suspect.
  • DNA and palm print at crime scene from 1981 (thanks to Sergeant Pickett’s careful evidence) confirm guilt.
  • Chilling revelation: Tim, seeking support after his mother’s death, leans on Mills, not knowing he was the killer. A team photo in Tim’s room had Mills standing behind him.
    • "Tim would even very tragically begin to rely on Joseph for, you know, emotional support, you know, grieving the loss of his mother. But it’s to her killer. He just didn’t know.” (40:30)

• Justice:

  • Mills is charged and sentenced to life in prison without parole, finally closing a 38-year-old case.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Linda’s Grit:

  • “She knew she would somehow have to turn these sparse ingredients into a meal for her kids. Linda was a single mother of two boys…and Linda didn’t have very much money. And so in order to take care of her kids, she had to be resourceful…” — Narrator, (01:47)

• Breakthrough Realization:

  • “[Sergeant Pickett] figured the killer must have, at some point, been in the closet hiding… It was much more likely that the killer had broken in earlier, hid in the closet, and then waited until Linda was in her bed asleep to come out and attack.” (15:15)

• Family Pain:

  • “Jeff said he slept with a knife under his pillow, and he eventually got so depressed, he dropped out of high school.” — Detective Grice, (30:55)

• Shocking Revelation:

  • “The killer would get to replay this crime over and over in their head all day the next day, until it was time for football practice… It would turn out Linda was murdered by her son’s football coach, Joseph Mills.” — Narrator, (40:00)

Notable Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:47 | Introduction to Linda Slayton, her sons, and the context of the family’s struggles | | 08:50 | Linda and Tim come home to find Jeff back; Linda and Jeff’s quiet reconciliation | | 10:27 | Linda’s sister Judy discovers the body | | 12:18 | Crime scene walkthrough by Sgt. Edgar Pickett | | 16:50 | Discovery of the key handprint evidence | | 18:00 | Police investigation; focus on family, ex-partners, and neighbors | | 27:54 | Detective Brad Grice reopens the case in 2001 using DNA | | 30:55 | Emotional aftermath for Jeff and Tim Slayton | | 36:30 | Genealogical breakthrough and identification of Joseph Mills | | 40:00 | Shocking reveal: killer is Tim’s trusted coach; Mills' arrest and conviction |

Tone and Storytelling Style

MrBallen’s signature style is present throughout: conversational, suspenseful, and rich in emotional resonance. He weaves in personal details and psychological depth, focusing not only on the crime and investigation, but also on the pain, hope, and perseverance of the victim’s family and detectives. The painstaking forensic and detective work is highlighted in a way that builds suspense and ultimately delivers a cathartic (if tragic) resolution.

Final Thoughts

This episode powerfully demonstrates both the cold patience of evil and the relentless dedication of people who refuse to let the past be buried. It’s a poignant reminder of the pain left in a crime’s wake, the tricks memory and trust can play, and the quiet heroism of those who labor decades for justice. The revelation that the killer was so close to the heart of the family adds chilling weight to MrBallen’s retelling—a tale as much about tragedy as it is about the eventual, hard-won triumph of evidence and persistence.

[All segment times exclude advertisements, intros, and outros.]