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- [00:00]
Courtney Brown
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Now, as we all know, it's a new year. It's 2026, and I know that a lot of people are trying to get on top of those New Year's resolutions. But to be honest, the new year doesn't really require a brand new you, maybe just a less burdened you. And I know for a fact that therapy can help more easily identify what weighs you down, holds you back by offering an unbiased perspective to better understand your relationships, your motivations, your emotions, and so much more. For example, I still deal with stress and anxiety all the time working in a field like Courtney and I do, where there are people constantly trying to tear you down online. And I found over the years that by having a good therapist kind of as a weapon in your arsenal, you can defeat any mental challenge that's thrown your way. That's why we love Better Help. Better Help therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate means that they typically get that match right the first time. Now, if you aren't happy with your match your therapist, you can switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recommendations. With over 30,000 therapists on board, BetterHelp is one of the world's largest online therapy platforms, having served over 5 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. So if you're thinking you want to start your therapy journey, BetterHelp is a great place to start. BetterHelp makes it easy to get matched online with a qualified therapist. Sign up and get 10% off@betterhelp.com MIA that's betterhelp.com MIA and now let's get back to our show.
- [01:55]
Colin Brown
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- [04:03]
Courtney Brown
Warning the following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.
- [04:15]
Colin Brown
Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, rape, murder and offenses against children.
- [04:21]
Courtney Brown
This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned. 91 1, what's your emergency?
- [04:28]
Colin Brown
At first, police in Baraboo, Wisconsin thought the 911 call was a prank. Let's get a call. Yeah, he's kidnapped, he's in the house on highway you both his legs are broken and his ankle. Yeah.
- [04:40]
Courtney Brown
Better not be a joke.
- [04:41]
Colin Brown
I'm sorry.
- [04:41]
Courtney Brown
He said.
- [04:42]
Colin Brown
No, no, he's just getting out of.
- [04:43]
Courtney Brown
Here as soon as you can.
- [04:44]
Colin Brown
But when they entered the home where a 13 year old boy claimed to have been held captive and tortured, they realized they had an unprecedented crime on their hands. Busting down the door to the home, they were immediately overwhelmed with the stench of rotting food, sweat and mold. The air was simmering with the humidity of a Wisconsin summer night, so thick and unbearable that the officers found themselves choking on it. They were surrounded by mounds of trash, dirty dishes and laundry. And they weren't sure exactly what they were going to find in it. But nothing, not even the 911 call itself, could have prepared them for the boy lying on the kitchen floor, 13 year old Thad Phillips, looked like a broken doll in the dim light. He laid on the floor, unmoving except for his eyes. They didn't have to get close to see that his legs were all out of place. His hips had swollen to the size of basketballs and his legs, marred by bruises, were bent in different directions, completely black and purple. And then there were his feet, twisted completely backwards, his toes facing the floor even as he laid on his back. This is the shocking story of 17 year old Joe Clark, a monster hiding in plain sight who would soon be known as the Baraboo bone breaker. I'm Courtney Brown.
- [06:14]
Courtney Brown
And I'm Colin Browen and you're listening.
- [06:16]
Colin Brown
To Murder in America.
- [06:34]
Courtney Brown
Sa. Baraboo, Wisconsin is a town as quaint as it is colorful. Known as Circus City was the summer home of the famous Ringling Brothers who performed their first official circus in the city on May 19, 1884. As the years passed and the circus grew into the famous Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey, the Greatest show on Earth, the town took pride in its history and decided to carry that magic with them year round. Amongst the charming brick buildings in the city's downtown, you'll find Circus World Baraboo, a museum filled with historic circus artifacts, antiques and memorabilia. Each year, thousands of tourists visit Baraboo to experience the charm of a bygone era. But for the locals, that charm is found in everyday life. The historic buildings remain. Large swaths of the city are walkable and for the most part, everyone knows everyone. It's a city that provides a cozy life nestled between the river and the striking bluffs of the Baraboo Mountain range. But even in quaint, scenic small towns in the middle of America, the dark side of human nature lurks. And in the summers of 1994 and 1995, it was brought into the light by two horrifying crimes that shocked the quiet town to its core.
- [08:38]
Colin Brown
It's the summer of 1994 in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and 13 year old Chris Daynor had his whole life ahead of him. That July, he was really enjoying his much deserved summer break. He only had a few short weeks before his first year of high school started and he wanted to make the most of it. Fortunately, he had a loving family to help guide him and make that happen. His parents, George and Kathy Stainer, were active and hardworking, always eager to instill proper manners and good decision making in their four children. There was Angela and James, Chris, older siblings, and then the youngest, five year old, Patrick, who was Chris's little shadow. Though Chris and his siblings were at a challenging age, with the older three at the cusp of adulthood and the youngest barely out of toddlerhood, they spent all of their time together. On the weekends. They had cookouts in the backyard. They went to their local lakes and rivers, boating in the sunshine. The Stayner family was very close knit and George and Kathy were so proud of their children. During that summer of 1994, they couldn't help but notice how grown up Chris was. Lately they had been seeing a wonderful change in him. Chris had just gotten his braces taken off after seven long years and it seemed like he was a new version of himself. A new confident teenager eager to set out and experience life for himself. That June, he had even started a new job working at a McDonald's in nearby Lake Delton. Chris was really excited to finally earn some money of his own, and his parents couldn't have been more proud of him.
- [10:16]
Courtney Brown
With the money he earned from his job, Chris often invested it in the hobbies. He loved fishing and baseball. And when he wasn't exploring the outdoors, working or playing sports, he was often roaming around town with his group of friends. Now, according to his family, Chris wasn't a straight A student, but he was a good kid. He stayed out of trouble. So oftentimes, when he was out with his friends, his family didn't worry about him. They trusted that Chris would make good decisions. But sadly, it's not always your own kids you have to worry about.
- [10:51]
Colin Brown
On July 3, 1994, there was an excitement in the air in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The whole town was gearing up for the 4th of July. Kids were riding their bikes, eating ice cream and swimming in the waters. But Chris Stayner was clocking out of his shift at work. When he finally made it home that evening, his mom had just finished making dinner. Being the responsible kid he was, Chris immediately walked through the door and started setting the table. But as they all sat around enjoying their meal, none of them realized that this would be their last dinner they would have. As a family of six, no one ever realizes ominous things like this. Tragedy rarely ever gives you a warning. To the Stainers, this was just a typical Sunday evening. After dinner, Chris spent his final minutes of daylight playing in the backyard with his five Year old brother Patrick. Really, his parents couldn't have asked for a better relationship between their boys. Chris wasn't telling his little brother to leave him alone. Like a lot of kids entering their early teens, he was having fun with him running around in the backyard. In spite of how tired he was from working all day. Chris was so tired in fact, that after he came inside, he plopped down on his bed and quickly fell asleep. Around 10pm his father, George Daynor, peeked into his bedroom and saw Chris fast asleep on top of the covers, still wearing his full McDonald's uniform, hat and all. Now, early that next morning, Chris had another shift at McDonald's at 7am so instead of waking him up to change into his pajamas, George Stayner decided to just let him sleep. He smiled as he shut Chris bedroom door. He was proud of his son and his dedication to his first job. From there, the Stayner family all settled into bed and drifted off to sleep, having no idea that by that next morning, their lives would never be the same. At 6:15am Kathy Stayner awoke to her alarm. Since Chris was only 14 years old, she would often drive him to work in the mornings. The McDonald's was only 20 minutes away, which gave her just enough time to wake him up, have some breakfast and then make the journey north to Lake Delton so he'd arrive on time for a 7am shift. Kathy sleepily made her way up the stairs towards Chris bedroom and cracked open the door. Like any mom of a 14 year old, she probably expected to be met with a groggy, messy haired teen on the other side grumbling about having to get up. But instead she was met with silence in an empty room. Kathy felt an ache in her gut the instant she saw he wasn't in bed. But she didn't want to believe the worst. From there she went to the other bedrooms of the house, hoping that Chris just fell asleep somewhere else. But with each room she grew more and more frantic. Kathy began screaming out Chris's name, waking up everyone in the house. Soon enough, the family emerged from their bedrooms wondering what was going on. But Chris never emerged. He was gone. Desperate to find him, George and Kathy hurried outside. But that's when they noticed something that made their hearts drop. The screen on one of their downstairs windows had been sliced open. It was a long cut, one that would allow someone to easily slip inside their home. Rushing back inside, they made another disturbing discovery. It was a muddy shoe print found on the carpet in their home. One that was not there when they went to bed. That Night, upon seeing all of this, the Stainer's mind went to worst case scenario that their son Chris had been kidnapped. But even saying that out loud seemed bizarre. Baraboo was a safe place. The kind of place where no one locked their doors. And that night, neither had they. The air had been cool and refreshing, so they opted to leave the windows open as they all slept. Never in a million years did they think someone would break into their home. But as they're looking at everything around them, they come to that horrific realization. Someone had sliced open the screen, climbed through the window, snuck through the house and took Chris from his room. Now, something that stuck out to them was that the window screen that had been cut led into their 16 year old son Jimmy's room. And Jimmy happened to be gone that night. So the Stainers first thought was that whoever took Chris had to have known that Jimmy wasn't going to be home. They also had to have known where Chris bedroom was located. Which meant this person likely knew their family. Everything about this was unsettling. And at that point, there was only one thing left to do. Call the Salt County Sheriff's Department and report their son Chris missing. That morning, the police arrived at South 3901 Gillam Road to investigate. But as you can imagine, they did not treat this case as a kidnapping. To them, all the signs pointed to Chris sneaking out. He was 14 years old, a young teenage kid. He likely just snuck out so he could go hang out with his friends. After all, that's what kids do. But the Stainers weren't buying it. Chris was a responsible kid. He never snuck out or got into trouble. In fact, if he would leave the house, he was always the kind to leave a note. So deep down, they knew that that wasn't the case. Even further. Chris had that shift at McDonald's early the next morning and he was not one to miss work. But even if he did sneak out, why wouldn't he just walk out the front door instead of slicing up their window screen? When confronted with this, the police suggested that maybe he cut the window screen because George and Kathy's bedroom was near the front door and he didn't want them to hear him walking out. The police also said that if Chris had been kidnapped, there would be obvious signs of a struggle. He would have screamed, knocked stuff around on his way out. There were no signs of that within their house. Nothing to indicate that Chris had been taken against his will. Those facts seemed to make a little more sense to the Stainers. They were doing their best to hold on to hope. The police reassured them that if anything, one of Chris friends likely snuck into their house, went up to Chris's room and convinced him to sneak out. So for the rest of that morning, the Stainers held onto that hope. And over the next few hours, they got in contact with all of Chris closest friends, begging to know if they had seen him that night. But with every call, the answer was the same. They hadn't. No one had seen Chris.
- [17:47]
Courtney Brown
Foreign. Was reported missing. His family posted flyers all around the city of Baraboo. Both George and Kathy took time off from their jobs and waited on their patio every morning for a car to come and drop off their son. George even slept on the couch each night with the front door unlocked because he knew Chris didn't have a key to get inside. They plastered his picture and information all over Sauk and neighboring counties, hoping someone had seen him. But day after day, as they waited for that knock on their door or a call from the police to let them know they had found a lead, it was silent. By then, the Sauk County Sheriff's Department had questioned Chris's closest friends and co workers, but no one had any solid information as to what might have happened to him. With no leads, investigators came to an all too common conclusion. Chris was a runaway. But for George and Kathy, that theory was far fetched. There had never been any tension in the family. Chris had never run away before, nor had there been any arguments that would have led him to leave. In fact, Chris had been having a great summer break. And having recently started his job, he was even more excited to start earning money. Cathy told police he even had it figured out how much he was going to make working Sundays and holidays. Now, some of the seasoned detectives found it hard to believe as well as especially given the evidence like the first floor window screen that had been cut from the outside and the muddy shoe prints found inside the house. But with no other evidence to work with, it seemed as if the case was at a standstill.
- [19:24]
Colin Brown
But the Stainers refused to sit back and do nothing. That week they continued talking to all of Chris friends, and eventually a few of them started talking about a new friend group that Chris had made in nearby Madison, Wisconsin. Now, one of his classmates, Brandon Murphy, told the Portage Daily Register that Chris parents didn't know about these new friends. So upon hearing this, George and Kathy were hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, Chris had snuck out with them that night. But even so, the fact that he wasn't back yet was a terrible sign. Desperate for answers, George and Kathy Continued looking for information about this new friend group. And eventually they heard a name that they were familiar with. The name Joe Clark. Now 16 year old Joe was actually friends with the Stainers oldest son, Jimmy. According to Kathy, Joe had even come to their house on one occasion. And during that visit, Joe and Chris seemed to have gotten along. Kathy told the Wisconsin State Journal, quote, I met him and he was at the house three days before Chris disappeared. He hung around in shot pool and talked to Chris, end quote. It was also later discovered that on the night of his disappearance, Joe had even called Chris asking if he wanted to hang out. Chris, being responsible and wanting to get a good night of sleep before work, told him no. Now, as we mentioned, George and Kathy Stayner didn't know much about Joe Clark. But the more they learned, the more concerned Chris they became.
- [21:00]
Courtney Brown
As it turns out, Joe was a troubled kid, something his own parents seemed to have noticed at a very young age. He grew up in Chicago, but when he was around seven years old, his parents decided to relocate to Wisconsin to make sure he didn't get involved with, quote, urban street life. They believed that Baraboo, a rural small town, would keep him out of trouble. However, they were wrong. As Joe Clark grew up and made his way through public school, he had a history of violent behavior. He rarely showed up to school, and when he did, the day would usually end with him in the principal's office after getting into fights. He was that kid in class that would constantly bully other students and argue with the teachers. In 1992, he was actually caught calling one of his teachers and threatening to end her life. So as you can see, he was a troublemaker with violent tendencies. But about a year after that incident with his teacher, something would happen that would make Joe's aggression even worse. According to Joe's father, Ron, In 1993, Joe was involved in a motorcycle accident where he was thrown 30ft in the air. He ended up landing directly on his head, which caused a subdural hematoma. Once help arrived, Joe was rushed to UW Hospital where he underwent emergency brain surgery. And as we've seen time and time again, head injuries can sometimes cause personality changes. They can make people more aggressive. And with a teenager who already had poor impulse control and violent tendencies before the accident, this would only make things worse for him.
- [22:34]
Colin Brown
Over time, Joe Clark had earned a reputation of being a violent troublemaker. Kathy Stayner said herself that on the one occasion where she met Joe, he seemed to be, quote, very domineering. So soon enough, the Stainers turned Their suspicions towards him, considering he called Chris on the night of his disappearance. They urged the police to look into him and it wouldn't take them long to show up at his front door. As the police knocked, they couldn't help but notice how close Joe's house was to the Stainer house. It was less than a mile away, which only added to their suspicions. But upon Speaking with the 16 year old, he was adamant that he had nothing to do with Chris's disappearance. He said that the two did not hang out that night. In fact, Joe's mother Bertha even gave Joe a solid alibi. According to her, Joe was home with her all night. He never left the house. So with that, the police went back to the drawing board. However, George and Kathy Stayner couldn't seem to shake the fact that he was involved in their son's disappearance. Whether it was parents intuition or something deeper, they had their eyes locked on Joe Clark. In the days after Chris disappearance, time was standing still for the Stanner family. But for everyone else, the world continued to spin. The summer fun went on. Most people around town thought Chris was a runaway. No one could have ever imagined that something much darker was at play. On July 9, six days after Chris was last seen, it was a beautiful summer day. The Wisconsin river was full of people having fun. Swimmers, boaters, fishers and jet skiers, all soaking in the warm sun before the cold, long winter on the horizon. That day, as two jet skiers made their way down the river heading towards the Pine Island Wildlife Refuge, they caught sight of something horrific. At first they wanted to believe it was trash, maybe an animal lounging in the sun. But as they got closer, that hope faded. There on the edge of the river, bobbing against a stump, entangled in a nest of weeds, was the bloated body of a teenage boy. Immediately, the horrified witnesses called the Portage Police Department. Although the body was found in Columbia county, right over the border from Salt county, there had only been one missing persons report fitting the description, and that was Chris Stainer. When George and Kathy opened their front door on July 10th and saw Salk county officers standing before them, they knew it wasn't good news. When the police said that a body had been found in the Wisconsin River, George knew it was over. He later said, quote, I looked at them and said, you wouldn't be out here unless you thought it was Chris. End quote. Investigators asked for Chris's dental records and one day later, on July 11, they received word that it was a match. The body belonged to Chris.
- [25:51]
Courtney Brown
The area where Chris Was found Was extremely secluded. There were no houses nearby and little to no police presence in the area, which conveniently made it a popular location for teenagers to party and drink alcohol. This only seemed to add credit to the theory that Chris had left the house to go to a party. But his family still didn't believe it. As his body was taken for an autopsy, they hoped for clearer answers, but they'd have to wait for over a year before they even got a flicker of the truth. Because, sadly, the autopsy that Chris received Was far from thorough. During the autopsy, he. He was loaded onto the table, Stripped of the bulky sweatshirt that he had been discovered wearing. Now, the Wisconsin state journal reported that this was a sweatshirt belonging to his dad, One that was kept on the family boat for cold days on the water. It was never elaborated on. From what we could find, when chris put the sweater on, Was the boat on the wisconsin river, or had he taken it off the boat at an earlier date? Unfortunately, we just don't know. But we hope that his dad found some comfort in the fact that he was keeping his son warm in some of his final moments. But as for what those final moments looked like, we don't know. The autopsy confirmed that Chris had drowned a few days prior as there was water found in his lungs. But his manner of death was listed as undetermined. After discovering the water in his lungs, state pathologist Dr. Robert Huntington essentially considered the case closed in his eyes. It was an easy open and shut case of accidental drowning Due to the state of decomposition he was in. Having been in the water for several days, it was hard to tell if there were any traumatic injuries to his body. Now, had Dr. Huntington performed an x ray as if standard On a severely decomposed body, he would have seen that there was nothing accidental about this drowning. Sadly, though, that would have to wait. And in the meantime, Everyone tried to come up with a story that made sense.
- [27:46]
Colin Brown
Investigators believed that Chris had snuck out that night. They said it was possible that a friend came to his house, Snuck inside, and convinced him to leave. Then from there, they made their way out to the river. But at some point in the night, A horrible accident occurred, One that ended with krish drowning. Over time, with no other evidence, his family came to accept this theory. But even so, they still had a ton of questions. Who was he with? Why hadn't someone come forward to report the accident? Were they scared of getting in trouble? Chris. Dad. George would later say, what hurts so much Is that, you know, there were other kids with him. Something happened out there. Something Terrible happened out there. What we don't understand is how someone could have left him out there without calling, end quote. And while something terrible did happen out there, who left without calling was up for debate. None of Chris's friends were with him on the night of his death. And with those unanswered questions, rumors began to swirl. Some Baraboo teenagers claim that at a boat party, Chris bragged that he was a great swimmer. So to get him to prove it, someone pushed him in. But according to this rumor, once he went under the dark waters, Chris never resurfaced. The teenagers present were so scared, they just quickly got out of there. But again, this was hard for Chris parents to wrap their head around. Chris was a great swimmer. They believed he should have been able to swim to safety. But maybe there was a strong current that night. Maybe he was pushed in and he drowned. And the people he was with were taking that secret to the grave. Regardless of what happened, the Stayner family was now living a nightmare. The only pieces they had left of their son were a handful of photographs and their memories. His father George told the press, I get this feeling like this can't be happening, like it's a nightmare and we're going to wake up. I miss him so much. It's just an ache like you've never known before. End quote. For the rest of that summer, instead of excitedly planning for their son's ninth grade year, his parents now had to plan his funeral. On July 14, 1994, Chris Stainer was laid to rest in St. Joseph's Cemetery. In attendance were his brokenhearted parents and siblings, including his younger brother Patrick, whose last image was them running around in the backyard the night of his disappearance. For his entire family, losing Chris was devastating beyond belief. And as the soil covered his coffin, the truth of what really happened was buried with him. In the following months, Chris's classmates would start their ninth grade year without him. But Chris's parents never stopped looking for answers. Throughout August And September of 1994, George and Kathy kept Chris photograph in the Baraboo News Republic. They even offered a reward to anyone who could provide details surrounding his mysterious death. Although the case was closed, Kathy told the paper, quote, I just know that something's always been amiss on the whole thing. End quote. And as life went on for the citizens of Baraboo, the Stayner family held onto that aching suspicion that someone in town was. Was responsible for Chris death. And they were right, in more ways than one. Not only was Chris's death not an accident, but exactly A year later, the teenager they had suspected all along was on the hunt for another victim.
- [31:38]
Courtney Brown
In July of 1995, the citizens of Baraboo, Wisconsin seemed to be moving on. Chris Stayner's death the year prior was tragic to say the least. But in the end, it was written off as a tragic accidental drowning. No one knew that there was danger lurking in their community and soon enough, a new family would move into town. When the Phillips family pulled the moving truck up to their new home, they were excited to see this new chapter of their lives. From the outside looking in, Baraboo seemed like the perfect place to settle down. It was safe and family friendly. A place where people didn't have to lock their doors. But little did they know. Almost immediately after moving in, a teenager in their community had his eyes set on the family's 13 year old son, Thad Phillips. Thad and his family had moved to Baraboo from nearby Merrimack and over the next few weeks they slowly settled in. They had a lot of stuff to unpack because they too were a family of six, just like the Steiners. Thad's mother and father were named Don and Connie, and he had three siblings, Rebecca, Kenneth and Angel. While his siblings were eager to start the new school year, Thad was excited to enjoy his summer break and get acclimated to his new baseball team, the Baraboo Whites. Thad loved baseball. Before he moved, he was a star player for the Merrimack Flames, where he pitched and played third base. Moving to a new town isn't always easy, especially for a 13 year old. But Thad was thrilled because he was set to be the pitcher for his new baseball team, the Baraboo Whites. Thad was described as a small, fast, wiry, tough kid, which made him a great baseball player. But outside of baseball, he was a normal teen living in a new town, adjusting to his new routine. Unfortunately, his life was about to take a terrifying turn.
- [33:27]
Colin Brown
The afternoon of Friday, July 28th was just like any other. That afternoon, Thad's father, Don returned home from his roofing job and they all ate dinner together as a family. Usually, Connie enjoyed cooking meals for her family, but on this night, they decided to go out for dinner. Afterwards, they spent the remainder of their day relaxing around the house. And then finally, once the evening settled in, the family all sat around the living room to watch a movie. Really, it could have been a snapshot of any happy Midwestern family. But as the night went on, the snapshot got a little emptier. Connie and Don went to Bed. And gradually all the kids followed, except for Thad and his five year old sister. Because it was summer break, Connie let Thad and angel stay up late watching a movie. And by midnight everyone was fast asleep. Connie, Don, Rebecca and Kenneth were all in their bedrooms. Thad and angel, eager to soak up every moment of being allowed to stay up late, had fallen asleep on the couch. All was quiet, aside from the low murmur of the television and the peaceful chirp of crickets outside. But soon, just after midnight, a different sound slowly came into focus. Outside, in the darkness, someone was pacing by the window, watching. It was Joe Clark, the same teenager that had been a person of interest in the disappearance of Chris Stainer the year prior. Standing outside the house, Joe saw Thad and his younger sister asleep on the couch, illuminated by the flickering light of the television. And it's here where he decided to repeat the same crime he committed the year before. As the clock ticked by, Joe casually walked up to the Phillips's front door and turned the knob. He then tiptoed through the house towards the living room. Thad, who was still lying on the couch, heard a noise and opened his eyes. Silhouetted by the television, he saw a person hovering over him, still groggy and half asleep. He believed it was his father coming to carry him back to his bedroom. He thought he was about to be in the safest place he could possibly be, in his dad's arms as he drifted back to sleep. Instead, Thad was entering a nightmare. He closed his eyes as Joe Clark quietly scooped him up and carried him outside.
- [36:08]
Courtney Brown
Then the cool night air hit him. Confused, Thad opened his eyes and was met with the starry sky above him. Disoriented, he looked around to find that he was being carried down a dark gravel road. There wasn't a street light or a house in sight. What little light he had to make sense of his surroundings came from the moon. He looked to his dad, carrying him, ready to ask what was going on, only to realize that the man holding him was a complete stranger. In his dreamlike state and confusion, Thad believed that the person must be a friend of his father's. So Thad asked him, what's going on? Nonchalantly, Joe told him that his car wouldn't start and he needed help. Don't worry, my car is just over the edge of that hill, he said. Soon enough, he set Thad down, who, groggy and having been taught to listen to people older than him, followed along. He believed that his dad's friend probably just didn't want to wake up his parents, but really needed help. So he settled for him instead. The thought brushed away the anxiety that was starting to gnaw at him. But as they crested the hill, Thad didn't see a car waiting. Instead, he was met by a dark run down house. One that was as pitch black as the sky overhead. Not a single light was on, making it look utterly abandoned. At this point, to ease his concern, Joe started a chat with Thad like he was a good friend. Now we feel it's important to remember that at this point, Thad was convinced that Joe was an adult. Due to the darkness in Joe's stocky build, his mind filled in the blanks with what made the most sense. Thad had been taught, like many children of the 80s and 90s, to do as adults said. So when Joe told him not to worry and invited him inside of the home, Thad followed. But what he saw inside made his stomach churn. The floor of the home was littered with trash and old moldy food. There were piles of dirty clothes scattered everywhere and the thick smell of decay and filth hung in the air. When Joe turned the lights on, Thad finally noticed that the man who had taken him from his house was no man at all. He was a teenager, only a few years older than himself, and he introduced himself as Joe.
- [38:18]
Colin Brown
The energy within that home was terrifying. It was the middle of the night, the place was a wreck, and Thad had been carried there by a complete stranger. But the look on the stranger's face painted a very different scene. Joe didn't look scary. He was smiling, friendly, chatting with Thad as if they were buddies. Shortly after entering the home, Joe even name dropped one of Thad's friends in town, claiming that he was friends with him as well. So after a few minutes, Thad felt at ease. He was a friend of a friend. Surely he wouldn't hurt him. At one point, Joe even told him that he had a large collection of sports memorabilia, including binders filled with baseball and football cards. Would you like to see it? He asked. Thad was intrigued. He loved sports. Here, follow me, Joe said. Together, the two made their way through the filthy home. Over his shoulder, Joe said that he also had a collection of model cars and trucks, which was by design, the same hobby that Thad had. You see, Thad had no idea that Joe had been stalking him to learn these details, going back to the very day he moved in three weeks earlier. Thad thought in that moment that he had found a cool older friend who loved all of the same things he did. Once they reached his bedroom, Thad sat down on Joe's bed and, as promised, he handed him a collection of baseball cards. Excited, Thad flipped through the binder, chatting about the different cards and his favorite players. He was so locked in that he didn't even realize Joe's gaze burning into him like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. Joe had been talking baseball with him, casual, friendly. Then he started creeping towards him. Suddenly, the room went silent. Before he knew it, Thad was pinned to the bed by his throat. Joe had jumped on top of him, pressing him down with his body weight so he couldn't move. Thad tried to scream, asking Joe what he was doing. But suddenly things got much worse. Joe's shaking fingers latched around Thad's right ankle. Then he started twisting. Thad looked on in horror because the twisting didn't stop. Pain shot through his leg and foot as the muscles and ligaments strained from the force of being pushed the wrong way. He was sure it couldn't move anymore, that it was impossible to bend it any further. But then there was a snap. Joe twisted until Thad's toes were nearly facing the bed completely backwards. His ankle bone snapped and splintered in an instant of excruciating pain. Thad screamed in complete agony. He would later say, it happened so.
- [41:23]
Courtney Brown
Quick, I didn't really know what was happening. After he broke my ankle, I kind of had a clue. He know this guy's not messing around. I need to get out of here.
- [41:31]
Colin Brown
But then something strange happened. After breaking his ankle, Joe plopped down on the bed beside him and buried his face in his hands as if he was ashamed. But that didn't have time to question why he had done it or try to gaze this monster's emotions. He had to get out of there, and he had to do it now. With adrenaline coursing through his body, he stood up and attempted to run. But Thad had no idea that his ankle was completely unusable. He knew that it hurt. He had heard the snap. But more importantly than that, he knew he had to get out of there. He hobbled out of the bedroom and down the stairs, but he suddenly felt the bone in his ankle shift, grinding against the bone in his leg. He let out a howl of pain, and for the first time, the horror of what happened to him started to settle in. By the time Thad made it to the kitchen, the door to the outside was right in front of him. But he could also hear that Joe was right behind him. And this time he wasn't remorseful. He wasn't ashamed. He was angry. Before Thad could reach the door, Joe wrapped his arms around his neck, putting him in a chokehold. He then dragged him back to the living room and slammed him down on the floor. As Thad laid there surrounded by decaying trash and spoiled food, Joe stood over him. This time, he grabbed Thad's right leg. He pinned the rest of Thad's body down. As he pushed the leg up towards his head, he continued pushing further and further, shoving the leg up against Thad's body, until finally, Thad's femur snapped. The femur is the hardest bone in the body to break. It's the kind of bone that usually only breaks from extreme blunt force trauma, like a car accident. But there, in his living room, Joe managed to shatter it. Fortunately for Thad, there was so much adrenaline and fear running through his body, he didn't even feel the immense pain from the second break. It definitely hurt, but he had no idea his femur was broken. And sadly, Joe wasn't done with him. In fact, he had just gotten started.
- [43:49]
Courtney Brown
Thad tried his best to plead with Joe. Why are you doing this? He asked. Did I do something to you? None of it made any sense. Thad had just moved to town. He didn't have any enemies. But Joe wasn't giving him any answers. Instead, he was ready to break another bone. While Thad was on the ground, his right leg and ankle completely destroyed, Joe walked over to him again with an evil look in his eye. He then reached down and grabbed Thad's left ankle. And like before, he began to twist and twist and twist until his foot was facing backwards and the bones snapped and cracked under the weight of his force. At this point, Thad was delirious with shock. He was lying on a filthy floor with two broken ankles and a broken femur, unable to escape or move, no matter how desperate he was to do so. Thad feared what came next. But to his surprise, Joe scooped him up as if nothing had happened and plopped him down on one of the couches. Then, as if the two had just spent the night watching tv, Joe laid down on the other couch and promptly fell asleep. But Thad couldn't fall asleep. Eventually, the adrenaline began to fade, leaving him with an indescribable, throbbing pain coursing through his legs. It was excruciating, and he knew that he was in grave danger. As Joe slept peacefully mere feet away, Thad looked around the room. He scanned every inch for a weapon he could use to defend himself. But there was nothing in his reach. Instead, he stared at the ceiling and watched as the rising sun began to paint the room with light, praying that soon Joe would come to his senses and let him go.
- [45:30]
Colin Brown
Throughout the early morning hours of Saturday, July 29, as his attacker slept on the couch, Thad was able to get a good look at the house he was in. He couldn't help but notice how filthy it was, a stark difference between his own cozy, safe, clean home. It was also extremely hot inside the house as there was no air conditioner and every window and door was shut. Sweating on the couch in an immense amount of pain, Thad's thoughts shifted to his parents, how scared they were going to be when they noticed he was missing. They were probably out looking for him right now. Thad found himself staring at Joe's front door. He pictured his father coming through it and bringing him to safety. He also pictured himself getting up and running outside to find help. But these were all just fantasies. With all of the bones broken in Thad's leg, he couldn't get up. And even if he tried, he might wake up Joe, who would probably break more of his bones for trying to escape. For hours that morning, Thad laid there with his own thoughts, scared and in pain. There was nothing he could do, and his nightmare would only get worse from there.
- [46:47]
Courtney Brown
Are you ready to have your mind blown? I want you now to imagine that in front of you was a locked door symbolizing all that you know, everything you've been taught in your time on Earth, the lies your government has fed you with my podcast, the Conspiracy Files. I now give you the door's key. And once you've listened to the show, you finally unlock this door and step inside. Beyond the door is another dimension. A dimension of false narratives, a dimension of hidden evidence, a dimension of truth, lies and murders. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of deadly secrets and explosive ideas. You've just crossed over into the conspiracy zone. I'm your host, Colin Brown. Join me now on this journey into the world of secret pedophile rings, government coverups, and suspicious suicides on my new show, the Conspiracy Files, available now on all streaming platforms around the same time just down the road, Thad's mother, Connie, jolted awake when she looked at the clock. It read 4am much earlier than she usually woke up. But instead of closing her eyes and drifting back off to sleep, she decided to go check on her children. As she made through the house, she noticed her five year old daughter was still asleep on the couch in the living room. But Thad wasn't on the couch that he fell asleep on. Now, Connie wasn't freaking out just yet. Surely he woke up and decided to go to his own room. But just to be sure, she walked over to Thad's bedroom expecting to see him in bed. But when she opened the door, it was empty. Frantic, Connie rushed through the house checking all the other bedrooms, but there was no sign of him. She even searched the bathrooms, basement, every other room inside of the home. But he just wasn't there. Thad had disappeared. Terrified, Connie woke up her husband, Don, and told him what was going on. From there, the two jumped into their car and drove around looking for him. They searched near a river where the family frequently camped and then drove to the location of a local fair, hoping that maybe he decided to walk there to check it out. But as the hours passed, Thad was still nowhere to be found. His parents frantically searched around Baraboo, completely unaware that their missing son was just a half mile down the road being tortured by a stranger.
- [49:03]
Colin Brown
Back at Joe Clark's house, Thad was horrified to see him stirring on the couch in the living room. Joe quickly sat up and looked in Thad's direction. He seemed relieved that Thad hadn't escaped. Thad stared back at his attacker, terrified and unsure what was going to come next. And just as he feared, Joe abruptly stood up and picked up right where he left off. Almost in a rage, he started twisting, hitting and stomping on Thad's broken leg. The pain was unbearable. Thad started to fight back with all of his might. He couldn't move his legs, but he used his arms to punch and slap as hard as he could. He yelled at Joe to stop. He told him, if you just let me go, I promise I'll never tell anyone what happened. But Joe continued attacking him. I'll tell everyone I tripped over a coffee table or something. No one will ever know that you hurt me, he said. But Joe ignored him. He continued to torture Thad. It was agonizing. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Bones rubbing on bones, ligaments tearing, muscles pulling and straining, bones shattering and digging into his flesh. He was desperate for relief and at the same time desperate for answers. Through his screams, he continued asking Joe why he was doing this. And this time around, Joe responded shockingly. He told Thad that he had a fascination with the sound of breaking bones. Thad would later say, quote, it was like he was getting high from it or something. I can't explain it. End quote. Confused and wanting more answers, Thad asked him, if you like the sound of bones breaking so much, why don't you just break your own bones? Joe casually responded that he had tried it in the past, but he could never get the right angle. Then, as quickly as he answered the question, he continued snapping Thad's bones, twisting, pushing, stomping. Thad could hear his body popping, crunching. He continued to scream out in agony, but to his dismay, no one could hear him. He was trapped inside of a house with a man who was fascinated with breaking bones. But it wasn't just the bones breaking that fascinated Joe Clark. It went deeper than that. Joe wanted to have complete power and control over someone. He enjoyed inflicting pain, knowing there was nothing they could do to stop it. Nowhere for them to run. At the end of this attack, Thad looked down at his ankles. By that point, they were so broken, the skin was twisted so many times, he said they looked like a rubber band.
- [51:55]
Courtney Brown
Thad's experience within the home was painful, not just physically, but psychologically as well. Joe Clark would go from attacking him and breaking his bones to chatting with him like they were old friends. He would tell jokes and laugh. Thad would even laugh with him, hoping to stay on his good side. Joe would turn on the television and they would watch shows and movies together. But then, out of nowhere, Joe would get this look in his eye and in an instant he would start attacking him again. It was almost like he had a Jekyll and Hyde personality. One minute he was friendly and the next he was on top of Thad, twisting, bending and breaking his legs. This morning in particular, after a brief friendly chat, Joe walked over to Thad and sat down on his broken legs. He then grabbed his ankles again and began twisting and re breaking them. This time around. The back of Joe's head was just out of reach. So Thad took the opportunity to punch him as hard as he could. But when Joe turned around, Thad saw a look of fury. The next thing he knew, Joe grabbed a pillow and forcibly placed it over Thad's face, smothering him through gritted teeth. Joe threatened that if he didn't stop fighting back, that he was going to break his neck and his back. Now, broken legs were one thing, but Thad understood what a broken neck or back meant. Absolutely no chance of escape. It meant death here on this dirty floor in this house from hell. So to save himself, Thad stopped fighting back. And instead he started screaming into the pillow. Anytime Joe broke his bones during these episodes of torture, he forced himself to think of being home with his family to keep his mind off the steadily increasing pain. But with each passing hour, his chances of survival were dwindling. After all of the repeated breaks in his legs, they were incredibly swollen, bruised and painful. By 2pm on July 29, Thad just wanted a break. And luckily, Joe paused the torture for a bit and they started chatting. Despite his burning hatred for him, Thad was nice to his captor. He asked him questions about his life as if they were good friends. And surprisingly, Joe actually opened up. The two talked about their families, their backgrounds and interests, and even Joe's girlfriend. Thad would later recall that he didn't remember a lot of the details of these conversations due to the trauma he was under. But he did remember one conversation. Apparently hoping to understand him a little better, Thad asked if Joe had ever done this to someone else. And shockingly, Joe admitted that he had. Do you remember that boy, Chris Stainer? He asked.
- [54:32]
Colin Brown
Unlike most of the citizens of Baraboo, Thad had never heard that name before. He'd only lived there for a few weeks, so he never knew the frenzy surrounding Chris's shocking and mysterious death. But while sitting down with him, Joe told Thad all about the horrific things he did to Chris Stainer. How he took him from his home, tortured him, broke his bones, and then at the end of it all, he threw him in the Wisconsin river, telling him to swim. Thad tried to keep his outward expression understanding and calm, but he and Chris's stories were eerily similar. He was terrified that he would meet the same fate. Now, interestingly, Joe also mentioned doing this with another boy. However, Thad couldn't remember the boy's name. But coming away from this conversation, Thad knew he was in the presence of a murderer. Joe was talking about his crimes as calmly as if he was talking about the weather. And if he planned for Thad to survive, would he really be confessing to all of this? It was there where Thad came to a horrific realization that Joe was planning on killing him. That was even made more apparent when Joe mentioned that his parents were away visiting family and they were due to come home within a couple days. Thad knew that he would surely kill him before his family came back. So he started coming up with a plan.
- [56:02]
Courtney Brown
Around 5pm on Saturday, July 29, Joe walked into the kitchen and picked up the telephone. Up until this point, Thad had no idea there was a working phone inside the house. A working phone meant One thing, an escape. And as he listened to Joe's conversation, he realized when he was going to make his move. On the phone, Joe talked to his girlfriend discussing what time she was going to come and pick him up. For the moment, Thad felt immense relief. As soon as Joe left the house he was going to crawl over to the kitchen and call for help. Hopefully here soon his torture would come to an end. Now, just down the road, Thad's parents, Don and Connie Phillips were still desperately searching for him. They spent that entire day driving through the streets of Baraboo. Don would later say that he regretted not going door to door to their neighbors houses. Since they had just moved to Baraboo, Don and Connie didn't know anyone in town. Looking back, Don admitted that if he had gone around asking if anyone had seen Thad, he would have stumbled upon the Clark residence which was just 900 yards away. And he may have been able to save his son.
- [57:11]
Colin Brown
By 6pm on July 29, Thad was still patiently waiting for Joe Clark to leave the house. By then he had been in captivity for 16 hours. His bones were utterly shattered in every way. Thad was hoping that the torture was over as Joe had plans for that night. But to his dismay, Joe came back into the room and started walking towards him. His entire body tensed up knowing what was about to happen. But then to his surprise, Joe did something unexpected. He tried to treat him. He began wrapping Thad's ankles and legs in white socks and ACE bandages. Thad would later say I don't know what the fascination, what his deal was with that, but he layered up socks on me. They had to be just perfect too. End quote. Joe would put multiple layers of socks on Thad's feet in an attempt to make some sort of homemade cast. Then he added layers of ACE bandages. Now to say they had to be perfect is almost an understatement here. Apparently Joe needed the socks to be perfectly straight and would spend close to an hour taking them off, rearranging them and then putting them back on to make sure they were exactly how he wanted them with all of the ribs of the different pairs perfectly aligned. Then when he was done, he put Thad in hospital grade leg braces. Clearly Thad was confused. Maybe he didn't want to kill him. Joe took a step back admiring his work. Get up and try to walk, he demanded. Thad was shocked. Even with the bandages and leg braces he knew he couldn't walk. There was far too much damage. But Joe persisted. It was almost like he Wanted to test his own work. According to a psychologist, Dr. John Mayer, Joe had an odd fascination with fixing his victims, making things right so he could go back and inflict more pain. In an episode of Escaped titled torture in suburbia, Dr. Mayer said, the fun is making him dysfunctional again. End quote. And that fun was, as you've likely guessed, sexual in nature. After wrapping Thad's broken legs in the homemade cast, Joe stood over him and masturbated. This happened several times throughout his captivity.
- [59:38]
Courtney Brown
Now, while this was happening, as terrifying as it was, Joe was still in his nice guy Persona. He was friendly and talkative. If someone were to have walked in the room, it would look like a friend helping another friend with an injury. But soon enough, Thad watched as Joe's expression suddenly shifted. In an instant, he was clouded by an evil look. And before he knew it, Joe was jumping on top of him, breaking his bones yet again. At this point, Thad was desperate for it to stop. Once again, he told Joe that his parents were out searching for him. If you just let me go, I promise I won't say anything. I'll tell them I fell and that it was an accident, he said as Thad pleaded with him. Joe sat there listening intently. He would even nod his head as if he was considering Thad's request. But then Joe would shake his head. No one will believe that story. It's too late to turn back now, he told them. And really, he was right. The extent of damage that Thad had on his body could only have been the work of a true sadist. Thinking quickly, Thad requested something else. Will you let me use the phone to call my parents? I'll tell them that I'm okay. That they don't have to worry about me again. Joe considered this for a moment. Finally, Joe said, sure, why not? He then stood up, walked to the kitchen and came back holding the telephone in his hand. Thad's heart was racing. Obviously, Joe wasn't right in the head. But had he actually made a mistake this stupid? Was Thad actually going to be able to talk to his parents? He grabbed the phone from Joe and quickly started to dial his parents phone number. But as he lifted the receiver to his ear, his heart fell to the pit of his stomach. There was no dial tone, just silence. The telephone had been disconnected from the wall. It was just one of Joe's sick pranks. In that moment, all Thad wanted to do was talk to his mom and dad. He was, at the end of the day, still a child. A terrified 13 year old kid. And Joe got his hopes up just to relish in watching them crash back down.
- [61:42]
Colin Brown
Finally, around 7pm, 17 hours into captivity, Joe told Thad that his girlfriend was on her way to the house. For a second, Thad felt a flicker of hope, but that was snuffed out in an instant. Joe stated that he wanted to make sure Thad didn't even think about escaping. So once again, he pounced on top of him and delivered a brutal beating. This time he actually stood on top of his broken legs and began stomping on them. He kicked them over and over again. Then in a final act, he grinded his heels into his fragile, shattered bones. Thad grabbed the pillow and screamed into it, desperate to keep Joe from becoming more angry. But he kept holding onto the fact that Joe was about to leave. Finally, he could crawl to the phone and call for help. But as you can imagine, Joe was not going to make it easy for him. With his girlfriend on the way, he scooped Thad up from the ground and carried him upstairs to his bedroom. With every step up the stairs, Thad watched as his lifeline to the outside world, the telephone, drifted further and further away. Yet shockingly, Thad stayed strong. He knew that that was his only hope of survival. When Joe threw him down on the bed and left the room, Thad looked down at his legs once more. They didn't even look like legs. And he knew that they were completely unusable. His toes were bent in every direction. His ankles were completely turned around. He couldn't even see his kneecap. After feeling around, he noticed it was floating around in the back of his leg. He was in so much pain that Thad fell unconscious. But a few minutes later, he woke up to the sound of the front door opening. Then he heard a woman's voice. Moments later, Joe and his girlfriend left the house. And Thad knew that this was his only chance to escape.
- [63:45]
Courtney Brown
Organizing your finances on your own can be stressful. I know this from personal experience and to be honest, up until recently, I didn't really understand how finances worked. It was just something that I didn't really want to deal with, especially before I got sober. And to this day, I'm still finding ridiculous subscriptions and little hidden fees that I've been paying for for months, sometimes even years, and getting nothing out of. But using Rocket Money has completely changed the way that I view finances. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. With Rocket Money, you can set personalized budgets and goals. You can get personalized insights and regular reports on your finances, and even receive real time alerts for large transactions, upcoming bills, refunds, and even low balances. The Rocket Money app consolidates checking, savings, loans and investments into a single, streamlined dashboard to give users a clear view of their financial picture. Rocket Money for me tracked subscriptions that I was paying for that I didn't know I was paying for. And actually, actually by using the app, you can cancel those subscriptions within the app with just a few taps, which saved me time and helped me to avoid charges. It's super streamlined, so even at minimum, I think it would be great for people online to download the app and at least use it to cancel those subscriptions. It was crazy when I found out what I had been paying for that I didn't know what I was paying for. So let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Go to RocketMoney.com MurderInAmerica today. That's RocketMoney.com MurderInAmerica RocketMoney.com MurderInAmerica.
- [65:35]
Colin Brown
Using only his arms and core strength, he crawled out of bed, his leg slamming onto the ground. The pain was excruciating, but he pushed forward. From there. He crawled to the bedroom door, reached his arm up and opened it. He continued to crawl through the hallway towards the staircase, which would go on to be his biggest obstacle. He thought about going down legs first, using his arms to gradually guide him down, but his legs were so broken he couldn't even swing them around to put them in position, so he'd have to go head first. Using as much strength as he could, he crawled down the stairs, his broken legs dangling behind, hitting every step on the descent. The pain was so unbearable, by the time Thad reached the bottom step, he passed out again. When he woke up, he didn't even know how much time had passed, which terrified him. If Joe came home and saw that he had tried to escape, he would be punished. So he continued crawling forward, but sadly his injuries were so severe he kept passing out. Thad would later say, I crawled a few feet, passed out, crawled a few feet, passed out again, woke up, crawled a few more feet, passed out. I don't know how long I did this for, end quote. Each time he woke up, he did so in a panic. He was so disoriented he didn't know how much time had passed. So he kept dragging his body across the floor until he passed out again. Finally, he could see the phone up ahead he was so close. But then he heard it. It was the sound of Joe's voice coming from outside. He was laughing with his girlfriend. Terrified, Thad quickly rolled himself behind a couch. He was hidden to where they couldn't see him. A moment later, the front door unlocked and the two stepped inside.
- [67:33]
Courtney Brown
Over the next few minutes, Thad laid there. He could hear Joe and his girlfriend kissing in the kitchen. For a moment, he thought about screaming out. Hopefully his girlfriend would see the state he was in and call for help. But as much as he wanted to do this, he decided not to. There was so much at risk here. What if his girlfriend was as deranged as he was? What if she started helping Joe in the torture? Maybe somehow she would make it even worse. So he remained quiet in his hiding place. Eventually, Joe's girlfriend said goodbye and left the house. And moments later, Joe walked into the living room to find Thad lying on the ground. As you can imagine, he was not happy. He comes walking in the living room. His eyes just bulged out his head. To see me down there like that with that evil look in his eye. Joe screamed at him roughly, picked up his limp body, and stormed upstairs to the bedroom. He slammed Thad down hard on the bed and immediately began twisting his ankles, stomping his legs, and pounding his knees as he berated him for trying to escape. This time, he even started jumping on Thad's chest with full force. All Thad could do was lie there and cry. When Joe was finished, he gasped for breath and looked down at his legs to assess the damage. It was hard to take in. His legs were swollen to the size of basketballs. His injuries were deadly. The repeated beatings had caused severe internal bleeding, and if Thad didn't get help soon, he was going to die. As his thoughts swirled with all of the horrible possibilities ahead, Thad passed out yet again. A few hours later, he woke up on the living room couch. Joe was sitting next to him, but luckily he seemed to be in his friendly Persona. Want to watch a movie? He asked. Thad nodded his head. Over the next few hours, the two made small talk. At one point, Joe even got Thad a glass of water. And as thirsty as he was after not eating or drinking for over 24 hours, at this point he refused to drink it. Thad was afraid that he had poisoned it somehow. After all, Joe's parents were set to come home soon, so it was likely only a matter of time until Joe tried to kill him. Throughout the remainder of that night, Thad continued slipping in and out of consciousness. When he finally woke up for the day, it was around 7am on Sunday, July 30. He had been inside of the House of horrors for 31 horrific hours. Time was moving. Still, he felt like he had been there for an eternity. And with each second that passed, he knew he was closer to death. Back at the Phillips residence, Don and Connie felt the same fear. Every passing moment without their son in their arms meant they were closer to losing him forever. After searching all over town, they finally called the Sauk County Police Department and filed a missing persons report. And Connie had opted to stay at home just in case Thad came back. She found herself constantly looking out the window, praying to see Thad walking down the road. When she wasn't doing that, she paced by the telephone. She later said, I just wanted to hear from him. It was just hell. And as she sat there, she tried to trust that the case was in good hands. The previous day, July 29, Lt. Thomas Pollard, who worked the 3pm to 11pm shift, had been briefed on Thad's disappearance when he first arrived at the office. With all hands on deck, the police were determined to locate the young teenager and return him home safely. But no one had any idea just how bizarre this case truly was.
- [71:05]
Colin Brown
Sadly, back at Joe's house, the brutality didn't ease up. Joe was still angry at Thad for trying to escape. He also knew that his time torturing the young boy was about to come to an end as his family was set to return home. So Joe made the most of it. He spent that entire morning beating, stomping, kicking and twisting Thad's legs. This time, he caused such severe injuries that his leg bones dislocated and his entire leg turned backward. Thad knew that if he didn't make it out alive, he would probably never walk again. And still, he was determined to survive. And luckily, he had one last chance to make it out. That afternoon, Joe started talking about a party he wanted to go to. But as Joe started preparing to leave for the party, he wanted to make sure that Thad wouldn't try to escape again. So this time, he delivered the most brutal beating yet. Thad would later say that during it, he was so desperate to escape the pain, even for a second, that he tried anything so he could buy himself a few moments of relief. As Joe violently beat him, he screamed that he could hear someone outside. Now, like the previous night, Joe's girlfriend was coming to pick him up for the party, so it was possible that she was outside when Thad yelled this out. Joe stopped the torture, walked to the window and peered out. But of course, no one was there. For Thad, the few seconds of relief were crucial. He said, that 10 second break I had from him not being on me really helped. I needed it. But Joe always came back for more. After the attack was over. It was almost time for Joe to leave. But just to make sure that Thad wouldn't try to escape, he dragged him through the house to his bedroom and threw him into a closet which locked from the outside. Minutes later, Thad heard him leave. All was quiet inside the house, aside from Thad's groans and the slow beating of his heart. Thad's body was starting to shut down. He was weak, beaten, bruised and broken. He knew that this time, if he didn't call the police, he would be dead by the end of the night. As he sat in that closet, he also remembered something else. It was his little brother's birthday. He had never missed one before. And he certainly didn't want to miss any of the future ones either. Fueled by his love for his family, Thad began looking through the closet for anything that could help him escape. The closet was much like the rest of the house, filthy and full of junk. Eventually, he found a steel thermos. He began beating the wooden door with it. But he soon realized that it wasn't going to work. He needed something bigger. He dug through the closet some more, and this time, near the back corner, he spotted a large electric guitar. Thad pulled it out and began slamming it into the against the wooden door. After 43 hours of captivity, he had no energy. But he was determined to make it out. He slammed the guitar against the door over and over again until finally the wood started to splinter. He focused on the small hole it was making. He kept hitting it until the hole grew bigger and bigger. After several minutes, he could finally fit his hand through. Thad reached around and felt for the lock. Once it was in his hands, he unlocked it, turned the handle and opened the door. He was free, at least from the closet. But this only unlocked a new fear for him. If Joe came home and saw that he not only tried to escape again, but that he damaged his closet door. Thad knew he was going to die. He couldn't endure any more torture, but not even he knew the depth of it. By that point, Thad's internal bleeding had become so severe, the doctors would later say he only had a couple more hours before death. Luckily, the answers to his problems were just across the house, like before. Thad used his arms to army crawl through the hallway. Once he reached the staircase, he took a deep breath. The last time he was here, the pain was unbearable. But he didn't have time to think about it. So face first, he made his way down the stairs once more. Along the way, Thad passed out, only to wake up not knowing how much time had passed. The house was still dark and quiet, but for all he knew, Joe could be home at any moment. From there, Thad continued crawling until his eyes were set on the telephone in the kitchen. Along the way, he continued passing out. He would wake up, crawl a few feet and pass out again. But finally he was in the kitchen. By the time he made it to the telephone, he could feel his body giving up on him. Fortunately, the phone had a long cord that hung down so he wouldn't have to stand to take it off the receiver. Grabbing the cord, he yanked it down. In another stroke of luck, the dial pad was attached to the phone itself and not the base on the wall. And as that clicked, 91 1, the sound of ringing was like music to his ears. Within seconds, the dispatcher answered, and in an eerily calm voice, he told them. Help. I've been kidnapped. I've got a call for this kid. He's kidnapped.
- [76:48]
Courtney Brown
He's in Alpha Highway U.
- [76:49]
Colin Brown
Both his legs are broken. In his ankle. Yeah.
- [76:52]
Courtney Brown
Better not be a joke.
- [76:53]
Colin Brown
I'm sorry, he said. No, no. He's just getting me out here, so you can't.
- [76:56]
Courtney Brown
Lt. Pollard had been briefed on the disappearance of Thad Phillips earlier that day. So he instructed dispatch to switch the 911 call over to him. When it was transferred over, he was shocked to hear the voice of a young kid saying he had been kidnapped, that his name was Thad Phillips. Thad told the lieutenant all about the torture he had endured. But Thad's voice was so calm, so polite, the lieutenant almost didn't believe it. Surely if this kid was telling the truth, he'd be screaming in pain. This has to be a prank. But to be sure, the police were on their way. Dispatch had been able to trace where the call was coming from, and Lt. Pollard stayed on the phone with Thad until they arrived. Three Sauk county police officers and an ambulance sped to the scene. Along the way, they passed directly in front of the Philips residence where Connie and Don waited anxiously as they heard the sirens. They rushed over to their window to see what was going on. The small community of Baraboo rarely experienced anything that required this response. Did they find Thad but that thought came with as much terror as it did relief. If Thad had been found, was he still alive?
- [78:10]
Colin Brown
Back inside the Clark's residence, Thad laid on the kitchen floor waiting for help to arrive. After what felt like an eternity, the Sauk county police officers and ambulance pulled up to the house. A house that they knew all too well. As we mentioned, Joe Clark was known for getting in trouble in Baraboo, but no one ever knew what he was truly capable of. However, they were about to find out.
- [78:36]
Courtney Brown
Okay, the officers are there.
- [78:37]
Colin Brown
Hold up. Stay on with me though, okay?
- [78:45]
Courtney Brown
As the officers made their way inside the home, they found that this was no prank. On the kitchen floor, they spotted Thad with the telephone receiver in his hand. The officers were horrified. The young boy looked more like a corpse than a living, breathing human being. The torture had bruised him and twisted him beyond what anyone would think is possible. And yet, despite everything he had endured, he remained calm, relieved that this nightmare was finally over. After 43 hours of torture, Thad was rushed to St Clair Hospital for treatment. Meanwhile, the three police officers stayed behind to work the scene. A filthy scene at that. As they made their way through the home, they were disgusted with how pungent and dirty it was. But the upstairs was somehow even worse. They located Joe's bedroom and the closet where Thad had miraculously escaped from. They weren't sure exactly what had happened here, but soon enough they would learn all of the horrific details.
- [79:42]
Colin Brown
Over at the Phillips household, they anxiously waited for answers. Deep down, they had a feeling that the police presence in their area had to do with their son. And they were about to get that confirmation. Shortly before 9pm their phone rang. It was the Salk County Sheriff's Department letting them know that their son had been found alive but that he had significant injuries. Without hesitation, they jumped in their car and rushed to the hospital. Meanwhile, the Salk County Sheriff's Department next course of action was finding the person responsible, Joe Clark. They ended up finding him at a party in town. Immediately, he was arrested for the kidnapping and attempted murder of Thad Phillips. Shockingly, the first thing he said to the officers was, quote, oh, he's still alive. Ultimately, Joe was charged with first degree intentional homicide, burglary, kidnapping, intentionally causing bodily harm to a child, mayhem causing mental harm to a child, and two counts of child enticement.
- [80:49]
Courtney Brown
Over at St. Clair's Hospital, Thad opened his eyes. Lucky to be alive, he didn't even remember being transferred. He was still groggy as he had just woken up from emergency surgery. But he knew he was safe. With his parents by his side and a doctor standing in front of him, Thad was told that if he hadn't called for help, he would have died from his internal bleeding. Both of his legs had been completely shattered. He had two broken femurs, a broken knee, a broken tibia, and two broken ankles. The doctors told him that one third of his blood had drained to his legs. He was alive, but he had a long road of recovery ahead of him. Even with all of the heavy pain medication he was on, he was still in excruciating pain. But he was ready to tell investigators about what happened while in his hospital bed. He walked them through every single detail during his 43 hours of torture. At the end of it, the detectives couldn't believe what they were hearing. But what he told them next was even more shocking. According to Thad, during his time in captivity, Joe Clark had admitted to him that he had done this with other boys. Now, Thad couldn't remember one of their names, but he knew that one boy was named Chris and his last name started with an S. Eventually, his father pulled out a Sauk county phone book and repeated every last name that started with that letter. And as soon as he heard the name Stainer, Thad immediately nodded his head. That was it. Chris Stayner. As for the other boy, Thad was never able to recall what his name was, but this information was huge. Now, soon after this, investigators decided to take another look at Chris Stayner's case. For over a year, everyone assumed he had accidentally drowned in the river. But now, with Thad's testimony, they feared that it might have been something much darker. But the only way to truly know was to look at Chris autopsy. If he was murdered by Joe Clark, then he would likely have had some of the same injuries. However, when investigators looked at his autopsy, they learned that no X rays had been conducted on Chris body. This was shocking in and of itself, as long bone X rays are standard, and given the mysterious circumstances, someone should have checked this. So now the only thing they could do to get answers would be to exhume Chris body. On the day that investigators contacted Chris parents, George and Kathy Stayner, they were more than willing to give them permission. Over the last year, they had always felt like something wasn't right with their son's death, like something was missing. Kathy told the Baraboo News Republic. Let's hope it leads somewhere. We never believed his death was an accident. So In August of 1995, investigators made their way to the cemetery, and by the end of that day, Chris Stayner was exhumed. And it wouldn't take them long to learn the truth.
- [83:44]
Colin Brown
After looking at Chris bones, they saw that his legs were broken and shattered just like Thad Phillips's. In fact, their injuries were eerily similar. They had the exact same breaks in the same location. Investigators even put Thad's X rays and Chris's X rays on top of one another, and it revealed perfectly aligned broken bones. Which to them meant Thad's story about Joe Clark's confession was likely true. After learning the news, Chris mom Kathy Stayner told the Baraboo News Republic, he's the one we suspected all along, end quote. The Stayner family was heartbroken but grateful to finally have the answers they had been looking for. And the town of Baraboo was grateful to have this monster put behind bars. For over a year now, there had been whispers around town about Joe Clark. Everyone knew he was a troublemaker. But after Chris Stainer's death, there were a lot of people who believed he was responsible. Joe's father, Ron Clark, told the Wisconsin State Journal that these rumors were so widespread he had to remove Joe from Baraboo High School. Ron said, I even heard with my own ears a girl come up to him in the parking lot at school and say to him, did you kill Chris Stayner? End quote. But after the authorities ruled Chris death an accident, those rumors seemed to die down. However, a year later, after Joe's arrest, everyone realized that they were true. It was a sobering realization that if Thad Phillips hadn't survived, Joe likely would have gone on torturing and murdering other young boys around town. And that's not just based on his prior history, but based on plans that he wrote down. After obtaining a search warrant on the Clarks residence, investigators located a notebook inside of Joe's bedroom. In it, he had written three lists. One was titled Leg Thing, referring to breaking his victim's legs. Under it, there were names of young boys in town whose legs he wanted to break. The other list was titled get to now for all of the boys that he was eager to kidnap, torture, and possibly murder. And then finally, the third list was titled can wait for the boys he wanted to kidnap. But I guess not right away. Horrifically, between the three lists, Joe had written down 22 teenage boys.
- [86:20]
Courtney Brown
In the months after Joe Clark's arrest, his family was put under a microscope. His father, Ron would sometimes speak with the media, and he blamed his son's actions on that motorcycle accident he had gotten into In May of 1993, Ron said he was thrown 30 to 40ft through the air and landed on his head. Maybe he kind of snapped. He was real hot tempered after that. Like we mentioned before, after the accident, Joe had brain surgery. And head injuries can cause aggression and violent behavior. However, Joe had experienced violent tendencies far before his motorcycle accident. But regardless of just exactly how he ended up becoming a violent and sadistic person, Joe Clark was going to pay for his actions. Not only was he charged in the case of Thad Phillips, but also for Chris Stayner's murder. Ultimately, he was charged with first degree homicide, mayhem, and causing great bodily harm. When he was finally handed those charges, the Stayner family was incredibly thankful that their son's killer was receiving justice. In November 1995, George and Kathy placed a memorial for Chris in the Baraboo News Republic. It read, a year and four months without you have gone by. The loving memories help us survive. No farewells were spoken, no time to say goodbye. You were gone before we knew it and only God knows why. That's the thing that breaks our hearts. But what can we do now? Today you would have been 16, robbed of so much. Please help us find the answers. We love and miss you, your family now.
- [87:54]
Colin Brown
Due to Chris's body being found in Columbia county, in Thad's case being in Sauk county, the two trials would be set in different courts at different times. And the first trial was for Thad Phillips. It began on September 17, 1996. Ultimately, Joe Clark pleaded no contest and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, which was probably the best decision. After all, Thad was found on Joe's kitchen floor while his family was out of town and Thad himself was alive to tell the story. So at trial, Joe Clark didn't deny taking him and torturing him, but he did deny responsibility. According to his defense, after his head injury he had gotten years earlier, something changed. Joe claimed that he suffered from blackouts and that during the nearly two days of torturing Thad Phillips, he must have been in one of those blackouts because he claimed he didn't remember any of it. He said that he did remember taking Thad from his house, but not because he wanted to hurt him. Joe said that he took Thad because he wanted to be friends, he wanted to hang out with him. Then once he slipped into that blackout, he must have turned violent. Now, obviously, most people who heard this story didn't believe a word of it, but apparently Joe's family did. They didn't dispute that Joe kidnapped Thad, but they said that he must have gotten injured when the two got into a physical fight and that their son simply overpowered him. In the rest of the story where Thad was repeatedly tortured, they said that was made up by the Sauk County Sheriff's Department. Joe's mother, Bertha, actually took the stand where she told the jury that Joe had a rough upbringing. According to her, Joe's birth mother was a drug addict and who abused drugs while she was pregnant with him. So she and Ron adopted Joe when he was just a child and tried to give him a better life. Bertha also referenced that motorcycle accident, saying that afterwards he changed. She admitted that she should have gotten him psychiatric care, but they just never got around to it.
- [90:08]
Courtney Brown
Joe's defense attorney, Mark Frank, told the jury that Joe had head and continues to have an abnormal condition of the mine. He argued that since his accident, Joe had hallucinations, delusions, psychotic behavior, suicidal impulses, social impairment and personality changes. However, according to the Baraboo News Republic, four psychologists that examined Joe before his trial did not find that he suffered any sort of mental defect before, during or after his crimes. In fact, Dr. Park Dietz, who testified at Jeffrey Dahmer's trial, also examined Joe Clark. And after his examination, he did not believe that Joe was insane. He stated that Joe was a sadist who was aroused by watching other people suffer. This is why Clark masturbated in front of the injured boy. This explains his repeated torture of Phillips. It also explains his attempts to fix Thad's legs after stomping on them. A strangler will try to resuscitate his victim. The victim is no good to him if he's dead or unconscious. According to Dr. Dietz, Joe suffered from antisocial personality disorder and created false stories about hallucinations. As for the head injury, Dr. Dietz stated it had no measurable effect on his behavior.
- [91:23]
Colin Brown
This trial was huge. It seemed as if the whole town of Baraboo was tuning in. But the testimony that everyone was looking forward to was of the victim himself, Thad Phillips. However, his testimony was delayed and truly, you'll never guess why. Now, this is where things get a little complicated. And I want you to remember that things aren't always so black and white. But during this time, Thad Phillips was actually shot twice by a 15 year old named Michael Husback. Now, to this day, several reports claim that Michael shot Thad in an act of revenge, that Michael and Joe Clark were friends, and to prevent Thad from testifying against him, Michael shot him. However, based on Court documents, that isn't the case. Reportedly, Thad and one of his friends had a problem with Michael, completely unrelated to the case against Joe Clark. After getting in a fight at school one day, Thad and his friend followed Michael to his trailer where they stood outside throwing taunts and threatening to hurt him. In the midst of it all, Thad's friend opened the door to Michael's trailer and Michael, who feared for his life, fired a shot with a hunting rifle through the doorway. The bullet and bullet fragment struck Thad, who at the time had turned around to walk down the stairs. He was quickly rushed to the hospital where he made a shockingly quick recovery.
- [92:55]
Courtney Brown
Ultimately, Michael was sentenced to two years probation for his actions as it was determined that firing the gun was self defense. Now, Michael doesn't come back into this story, but interestingly, in 2018, he was found guilty of sexual assault on a child. According to reports, Michael repeatedly raped a 15 year old girl in Baraboo and then threatened her after she cut off contact with him. He was convicted of second degree sexual assault of a child and sentenced to 19 years in prison. He's currently housed at the Oshkosh Correctional Institution.
- [93:28]
Colin Brown
But back in 1996, after Thad recovered from his gunshot wounds, he was more than ready to testify at trial. When he stepped into the courtroom, he was no longer that little boy that had been kidnapped from his home. He was 15. Now, he would later say that he wasn't nervous to testify. He was ready for his attacker to get the justice he deserved. And in a brave act, Thad sat in front of the courtroom and retold the story of what he endured at the hands of Joe Clark. Thad said, he grabbed my throat, twisted my right ankle. I could feel it snap. And when I looked down, my foot was on backwards. He pushed my leg up at an angle to my head. He kept pushing it and pushing it until it broke. End quote. Throughout his testimony, everyone in the courtroom was completely shocked at the horrific details. They were also in awe of Thad's strength and bravery. As the trial came to an end, the citizens of Baraboo were anxiously waiting to hear the jury's verdict. And luckily, they wouldn't have to wait very long. In December of 1996, after only one hour of deliberation, Joe Clark was found guilty of for the kidnapping and attempted murder of Thad Phillips. He was sentenced to 100 years in prison. When the verdict was read, Thad hugged the prosecutor, Patricia Barrett. He felt an immense amount of relief. But this chapter of his life Was far from over, because about a year later, Thad would be back in a courtroom, helping the Stayner family get justice for their son, Chris.
- [95:08]
Courtney Brown
The trial for Chris stayner began on November 3, 1997, this time in a Columbia county circuit court. That morning, Joe Clark entered the courtroom facing charges of kidnapping, torture, and murder. And once again, he pleaded not guilty. But this time around, he didn't go for a mental defect defense. Instead, he claimed to have had an alibi on the night of Chris Stainer's kidnapping. During the trial, Joe's mother, Bertha Clark, testified that on the night of July 3, 1994, she and Joe were together at their house. But as we know, Chris was taken from his home in the middle of the night. So they questioned her about this. Could Joe have snuck out after you went to sleep? They asked. But Bertha was adamant that she would have noticed, as her bedroom was near the front door. Now, anytime you're a witness in a trial like this, you open yourself up to scrutiny. The attorneys will dig into your past and find things to use against you. And that's exactly what happened here. You see, Bertha Clark was known to be a heavy drinker who would often pass out at the end of her benders. When confronted with this, Bertha denied it. But Joe Clark's own journal entries proved otherwise. In one entry, he wrote, mom and dad are downstairs getting drunk again. I don't like admitting it, not even in my journal. In addition, the Clark family home was filthy with empty alcohol bottles covering the floor. So it's safe to say that Joe's parents were heavy drinkers. The prosecution suggested that on the night of Chris Stayner's abduction, Bertha likely passed out, completely unaware that her son snuck out of the house to kidnap a young boy. Now, the prosecution also called forward three teenagers who claimed that after Chris's body was discovered, Joe Clark told them that he was responsible for his death. Shockingly, all three of those boys had been placed on Joe's lists, which were titled Leg thing and get to. Now, one of them was named James Jackson. He would later say that he was completely shocked when he found out he was on the list. He stated, I had no idea. It makes me sick.
- [97:14]
Colin Brown
Now, the defense argued that this entire case was merely circumstantial. They stated there was no DNA, no eyewitnesses, no hard evidence linking Joe to Chris's murder. But once again, the prosecution brought in their star witness, Thad Phillips. During his testimony, he talked about being taken from his home in the middle of the night, Much like Chris Daynor he also Talked about the 43 hours of torture he suffered at the hands of Joe Clark. A forensic pathologist testified about the striking similarities between the X rays of Chris Daynor and Thad Phillips. Much like Thad's X rays, Chris had four broken bones within his legs. The prosecution argued that those breaks didn't happen from an accident. On that July night in 1994, Joe Clark broke into the Stayner house. After slicing through that window screen, he then took Chris from the home, likely brought him out into the wilderness, where he tortured the young boy in the same way that he tortured Thad Phillips. Except at the end of it, while he was still alive, Chris was thrown into the Wisconsin River. Because of his broken legs, Chris was unable to swim. And in the dark summer night, he drowned.
- [98:34]
Courtney Brown
This time, as the jury deliberated, they talked for seven hours before reaching a verdict. But finally, on November 7, 1997, they stepped back into the courtroom. The Phillips and Stainer family all anxiously held their breaths as Joe Clark stood to his feet. At that moment, the judge announced that he was found guilty of the torture and murder of Chris Stayner. Joe showed no emotion aside from his cheeks flushing pink as he was let out of the courtroom. When asked by a reporter why he remained so calm, his defense attorney, Eric Schulenberg, said, he's a stoic kid. He doesn't show his emotions. A few weeks later, on November 20th, Joe was sentenced to life in prison, plus an additional 40 years. The sentence was to run consecutively with his 100 year sentence for the kidnapping and torture of Thad Phillips. At his sentencing, Joe continued to proclaim his innocence, stating, I just want you to know you're condemning an innocent person. As bad as things look between the last case and this one. For Joe Clark's parents, Ron and Bertha, they were outraged at the verdict. They compared the trial to a witch hunt. They said that their son was a scapegoat, that the case was weak with only circumstantial evidence. But the one thing that everyone kept coming back to were the identical broken legs. To the public and to the jury, that was the nail in Joe Clark's coffin for Chris family. They felt like they had finally received justice after three long years. But as much as they were relieved, the verdict still didn't heal their broken hearts. George Steiner said, the pain and the grief are as terrible now as when the ordeal started three and a half years ago. He also said that he felt like Joe got off pretty easily. He wanted an eye for an eye. He wanted Joe Clark to feel the same pain and suffering that he put Chris through. It didn't feel right that Joe got to continue living when their son's life was cut so short. Now, in 1998, Joe Clark appealed his sentence, arguing that the charges of attempted murder, mayhem and causing mental harm to a child lacked sufficient evidence. He believed that they had no proof he intended to kill Thad, only that he injured and terrorized him. He also argued that the mayhem in causing mental harm to a child only applied to parents or guardians. And since he was simply a kidnapper, those didn't apply to him. But thankfully, the court denied his appeal, upholding his conviction and sentence. Since then, Joe Clark has remained at the Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he continues to maintain his innocence. He will not be eligible for parole until July 30, 2090. As for Thad Phillips, after his attacker was sent to prison, he filed a civil suit. In October of 1997, Thad was awarded $21 million in damages. However, he never saw any of that money. Joe and his family refused and still refuse to pay it. After being kidnapped by a now convicted killer. The bone Breaker. A baraboo man is awarded $21 million. Two decades later and he's still wondering where that money is. Rachel Perry's have you has you covered on the community's effort to solve that.
- [101:54]
Colin Brown
July 29, 1995. Thaddeus Phillips was just 13 and sound asleep.
- [102:01]
Courtney Brown
I was outside. I was being carried.
- [102:03]
Colin Brown
He had been kidnapped. I've never met him before in my life. Phillip soon Learned his kidnapper, 17 year old Joseph Clark, had an odd obsession. He pushed me back on my back.
- [102:15]
Courtney Brown
Onto a bed and he grabbed my ankle and he twisted it and broke it.
- [102:20]
Colin Brown
That was just the beginning.
- [102:22]
Courtney Brown
I asked him why. He said he was fascinated with the sound of breaking bones.
- [102:26]
Colin Brown
After more than 48 hours of torture, officials received a 911 call from a home here on County Road U. Help. Someone has kidnapped me. Phillips still remembers making that call.
- [102:39]
Courtney Brown
He locked me in the closet. I dug around in there until I found an old electric wooden guitar. And I smashed through the door with that and unlocked it, threw myself down the stairs.
- [102:53]
Colin Brown
Clark also told Phillips about 14 year old Chris Steiner found dead in the Wisconsin River.
- [102:59]
Courtney Brown
So my dad started going through names and as soon as he said it.
- [103:03]
Colin Brown
I knew that that was the one. Police reopened Steiner's case and Clark was eventually sentenced to life in prison. Phillips was awarded $21 million. But after countless surgeries and medical bills, he says he hasn't Seen a dime. I was shocked that this happened how it is. With Phillips permission, Olga Johnson and her husband set up a GoFundMe. He saved the community. I want to show my thank you to Ted for what he's done. He brought peace to Chris's family. Around the turn of the century, the story of the Baraboo bone breaker was huge news in Wisconsin. Everyone was relieved to finally have this monster off the streets. But for Thad Phillips, he had a long road of recovery ahead of him. In the years after his kidnapping and torture, he went through several surgeries where they put metal rods in his legs. Even after everything, he was left with a permanent limp. But his scars weren't just physical. The torture he endured at such a young age was emotionally taxing as well. But with time, he focused on healing. Today, although he mostly stays out of the media, Thad still lives in Baraboo. He's now a father, and decades later, people still refer to him as a hero. If it wasn't for Thad's bravery in 1995, Chris Stayner's case would likely still be considered an accidental drowning. And who knows how many other young boys would have met a similar fate. Sauk County Detective Kevin Hemerel, who served as the lead detective in Thad's case, said that Thad was very strong for telling his story, saying, quote, and to think that what he lived through over the course of one weekend is something that many people, probably even adults, would have rolled over and given up and allowed themselves to die sometime during that weekend. And to have to tell that story in front of so many people not only once, but a second time, it's remarkable. He's a true hero. End quote.
- [105:13]
Courtney Brown
Today we will be making a donation to support Thad Phillips, the real hero of Baraboo. And if you guys want to support Thad Phillips and his journey to recovery, we encourage you donate as well. The GoFundMe link will be posted in the description of this show. Hey everybody, thank you so much for joining us for today's episode of Murder in America. We are glad to be back in 2026 and at this point we are going to be posting episodes every single week until we hit our kind of mid summer break that we take every year. So there are no breaks coming anytime soon. I want to thank everybody who has joined us on Patreon who has helped support the show. If you like what we do here on Murder in America and you want more episodes of the show, please consider joining us on Patreon on Patreon you can get access to early ad free episodes of the show like the one you just listened to and you can also get access to bonus episodes of the show. So we post two bonus episodes every month. Like last month when we were on our break, we still posted two bonus episodes. So if you love the show and you want to support us, joining us over on Patreon is a great way where you can do that. In addition, don't forget to follow us on Instagram @Murderinarica to see photos and videos from every single case that we cover here on the show. And please be sure to leave us a five star review wherever you listen to the show, whether it's Apple, Podcasts, Spotify, wherever. We love reading those reviews and we love hearing from all of y' all online. Anyways guys we will be back next week. Thank you for joining us today. And yeah, I'll catch you all on the next one. It's okay not to be Perfect with finances. Experian is your big financial friend and here to help. Did you know you can get matched with credit cards on the app? Some cards are labeled no Ding Decline which means if you're not approved, they won't hurt your credit scores. Download the Experian app for free today. Applying for no Ding Decline cards won't hurt your credit scores. If you aren't initially approved, initial approval will result in a hard inquiry which may impact your credit scores. Experian this episode is brought to you by Dead Man's Wire, the new film from RO K Entertainment. Dead Man's Wire is the incredible true story of of the 1977 kidnapping that turned an aspiring entrepreneur into an outlaw folk hero. Directed by legendary filmmaker Gus Van Sant, Dead Man's Wire stars Bill Skarsgard, Dacre Montgomery, Carrie Elways and My Halla with Coleman Domingo and Al Pacino. Now playing in select theaters everywhere January 16th.