MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Episode: "The Green Monster"

Date: February 9, 2026
Host: John Allen (MrBallen)
Podcast Exclusive

Overview

In this haunting, true-crime episode, MrBallen unravels the chilling story behind the brutal double murder of an elderly Ohio couple, Jack and Linda Myers, and the miraculous survival of their four-year-old great-grandson, Damian. The episode explores the investigation’s twists and turns, dives deep into family trauma and descent, and finally reveals the shocking identity and motive of the killer in classic Ballen narrative style.

Story Introduction

• Opening Scene ([00:00]):
  • Four-year-old Damian, sleeping in rural Ohio, is awoken in the night by his door opening. Expecting his great-grandparents, he instead glimpses a terrifying "huge green monster."

    “He heard whoever this was make their way across the bedroom because he heard the floorboards creaking...what he saw...was not his great grandparents. It was a huge green monster.” – MrBallen ([00:20])

The Myers Family and Rural Ohio Life

• Setting ([02:49]):
  • The Myers live in isolated Darke County, Ohio—small towns, farmland, quiet evenings.
• Family Structure:
  • Linda (55) and Jack are married for seven years, both own a pizza shop; Jack also restores cars.
  • Damian—their four-year-old great-grandson—lives with them due to his teenage mother's (Amber, 19) inability to care for him; there’s custody drama with the biological father (Andrew Huffman).
  • Jack has two sons, Greg (25) and Travis (28). Greg is battling substance abuse and finances; he recently fought with Jack, raising familial tension. Travis is estranged for seven years after a brutal business dispute.
• Evening Routine:
  • Linda brings Damian in from the yard. Dinner, bedtime routines, and subtle, bittersweet reflection on family transitions and coming separation from Damian.

    “Linda was proud of Amber, how she had turned her life around. But she also felt a little sad...they loved [Damian]. He was basically their son.” – MrBallen ([05:08])

The Night of the Crime

• Murder Timeline ([12:08]):
  • That night passes uneventfully—until hours later, when Linda is awakened by a horrific, loud noise in the dark.
  • The next morning, Damian is late to preschool, appearing disheveled, in pajamas, with dried blood on his shirt, and says, "his great grandparents' faces were melting." ([14:32])

    “Damian looked frazzled and out of breath and he didn’t have his backpack and he was wearing PJs and...there was a smear of something brown on his shirt.” – MrBallen ([14:39]) “He told her his great grandparents’ faces were melting.” – MrBallen ([15:43])

Police Investigation Begins

Crime Scene ([16:15])

• Sergeant Whitaker and team arrive:
  • The farmhouse is silent, front door ajar, no forced entry.
  • They discover Jack and Linda in bed, both shot dead execution-style. Jack shot in the neck; Linda, defensive wounds, shot in face and hand.
  • Evidence:
    • A homemade silencer (quilt fabric and tape) near Jack’s head.
    • No shell casings—killer cleaned up.
    • Blood still warm ([16:50]).
    • Unstolen deposit bag full of cash and untouched electronics: not a robbery.
    • Bloody footprints to a pried-open basement window—killer knew house layout.
    • Severed phone lines further indicate preparation.
    • Neighbor saw a minivan leaving at 4:30AM. ([19:58])

Damian’s Testimony ([22:00])

• Interviewed at preschool by Detective Mike Burns:
  • Damian reports waking, finding great-grandparents unresponsive and bleeding, likening their injuries to "faces melting."
  • Attempts to clean them with wipes; becomes frightened and runs the mile to preschool for help.
  • Puzzling evidence: blood in Damian's bed, though he claims he went straight to school.
  • Dollhouse reenactment: reveals during the night he saw a "green monster" enter his room, approach with a gun, and, paralyzed with fear, he pretended to sleep until it left—a chilling child’s account of coming face-to-face with the killer. ([26:53])

    “Then he said when he opened his eyes again, the green monster was gone.” – MrBallen ([27:28])

The Investigation Unfolds

Prime Suspects and Red Herrings

• Amber, Damian's mother ([29:03]):

  • Deeply shocked, not a suspect.
  • Blames Andrew Huffman (Damian’s dad), who had threatened Linda publicly over custody; threatened to kill her.
  • Police confirm Andrew’s alibi with multiple witnesses.

• Estranged Family ([34:05]):

  • Focus shifts to Jack’s sons: Travis (absent for years; now suddenly back), and Greg (minivan matching witness description, recent conflict about refused help/money, substance issues).
  • Greg’s alibi: Claims to have left for work at 4:30AM (same time as minivan sighting), clocked in at 5:23AM, girlfriend corroborates being home, but timeline is suspiciously tight.
  • Travis’s alibi: No solid witness; using his mother’s white minivan.

    “It just seemed way too convenient that Travis had come back into town for the first time in almost a decade, right before Jack and Linda were killed.” – MrBallen ([36:15])

Break in the Case

• Crucial Tip-Off ([41:35])
  • Local man calls police: A friend (whose name is Greg Myers) sought a gun days prior, saying he "wanted to shoot Jack Myers."
• Police Theory and Timeline ([42:05]):
  • Killer: dressed in a green hunting jumpsuit for camouflage (hence, "green monster"), planned meticulously (cut phone lines, homemade silencer, gloves, minivan escape), familiar with house/family.
  • Kills Jack first, silencer fails; Linda awakes, is also shot.
  • Killer checks Damian’s room, weapon ready, but spares sleeping child—leaves hurriedly, disposes of all evidence in a river, clocks in at work.

Forensic Evidence

• Murder weapon, clothing, and matching shoes are later recovered from the river.
• Fingerprints and receipts tie evidence to Greg Myers.
• Police officially deduce the drive time matches—Greg had enough time to commit the murder and clock in at work.

“The killer was Jack’s younger son, Greg Myers.... he decided murder was his best option.” – MrBallen ([42:50])

Resolution

• Arrest and Conviction ([43:10])
  • Greg Myers arrested within 48 hours, charged, and ultimately sentenced to life in prison without parole.
• Damian’s Aftermath
  • Moves in with his mother, Amber; as of 2021, is reported to be doing very well.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Green Monster

  "He saw the green monster right next to his bed. And the green monster was pointing a gun at him." – MrBallen ([27:10])

• Child’s Courage and Trauma

  "To save his great grandparents, he had run the full mile down the road to his preschool to get help." – MrBallen ([24:55])

• Chilling Motive

  “Greg knew he would inherit the farm if his father died, and he was so desperate, he decided murder was his best option.” – MrBallen ([42:58])

• Survivor’s Hope

  “Despite everything he witnessed at just four years old, Amber said in a 2021 documentary that he is now doing very well.” – MrBallen ([43:35])

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 – 01:10: Damian’s encounter with “the green monster.”
• 02:49 – 09:00: The Myers family’s daily life and background.
• 14:32 – 16:15: Discovery at preschool—Damian's appearance and statement.
• 16:15 – 21:00: Police arrive, scene investigation, early clues.
• 22:00 – 27:30: Damian's detailed testimony and reenactment.
• 29:03 – 34:20: Family interviews, red herrings, focus on Andrew Huffman.
• 34:05 – 36:15: Focus on Greg and Travis Myers.
• 41:35 – 43:10: Break in the case, theory, forensic match, and resolution.
• 43:10 – End: Aftermath for Damian; case epilogue.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a quintessential MrBallen deep-dive into how the ordinary can become horrifying, woven with careful clues, family dynamics, and a chilling criminal unraveling. The story highlights the fragility of family ties, the impact of trauma on children, and the depth of investigative perseverance.

For those who haven’t listened, this summary brings out the heart of MrBallen’s narrative, the twists in the case, and the gravity of real-life evil—and resilience—in small-town America.