Murder In America EP. 229 – WISCONSIN – The Baraboo Bone Breaker

Release Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: Courtney Shannon & Colin Browen
Podcast: Murder in America

Episode Overview

In this chilling episode, Courtney and Colin dive into the harrowing true crime story of Joe Clark, remembered as the “Baraboo Bone Breaker.” This case, set in small-town Baraboo, Wisconsin, in the mid-1990s, exposes the monster lurking behind a veneer of rural tranquility. Over two summers, Joe Clark brutally murdered 14-year-old Chris Steiner and, a year later, kidnapped and tortured 13-year-old Thad Phillips, nearly killing him. Thad’s survival and bravery not only exposed Clark's atrocities but also reopened Chris's case, ensuring justice was ultimately served. The episode offers a detailed, empathetic look at the victims and their families, and unflinchingly recounts the horror and resilience at the heart of the story.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: Baraboo, Wisconsin

• Quaint, picturesque town known as "Circus City" and home to the Ringling Brothers ([06:33]).
• Despite its idyllic appearance, darkness lurked beneath the surface during the summers of 1994 and 1995.

The Disappearance and Death of Chris Steiner

• Chris Steiner’s Background: 13-year-old boy from a close-knit family, excited for high school and his first job ([08:38]–[10:16]).
• Night of the Crime: Chris goes to bed after work; by morning, his bed is empty. Parents find a window screen cut open and muddy footprints – clear evidence of intrusion ([10:51]).
• Police initially suspect Chris snuck out ("He was 14...he likely just snuck out so he could go hang out with his friends" – Colin, [12:25]).
• Family’s Efforts: Chris’s family tirelessly posts flyers, rejects runaway theory ([17:47]).
• Discovery: Chris’s body found in the Wisconsin River; autopsy rules death as accidental drowning, case closed despite suspicious evidence ([25:50], [27:46]).
  • "What hurts so much is that, you know, there were other kids with him. Something happened out there. Something terrible happened..." – George Steiner ([27:57])
• Rumors swirl but no answers; family never believes drowning was an accident ([29:40]), demonstrating the shortcomings of small-town investigations.

Joe Clark: The Making of a Sadist

• Background: Joe was a troubled kid with a history of violence and behavioral issues, worsening after a severe head injury ([21:00]).
• Community’s Perceptions: Joe’s proximity to the Steiner family and behavioral red flags made him a suspect, but his mother provides him with a shaky alibi, diverting police attention ([22:34]).

Baraboo Bone Breaker Strikes Again: The Ordeal of Thad Phillips

• Introduction to the Phillips Family: Newly moved to Baraboo, tight-knit family of six, optimistic about their future ([31:37]).

• The Abduction:

  • Joe Clark breaks into the Phillips home after midnight, abducts a sleeping Thad ([33:26], [36:08]).
  • Thad, groggy, believes at first he's being carried by his father, only to discover otherwise ([36:08]–[38:18]).

• Torture Begins:

  • Joe seduces Thad with friendly chat and sports cards, then suddenly attacks, breaking both of Thad’s ankles and femur in horrific detail ([38:18]–[43:48]).
  • "He grabbed my throat…twisted my right ankle. I could feel it snap. And when I looked down, my foot was on backwards..." – Thad Phillips, courtroom testimony ([93:28]).

• Cycle of Sadism: Joe alternates between violence and friendliness, sometimes watching TV or chatting, then suddenly resuming the torture ([51:55]).

• Psychological Manipulation: Joe admits fascination with breaking bones ("It was like he was getting high from it or something. I can't explain it." – Thad recounting, [49:03]).

• Failed Escape Attempts: Thad tries to win Joe's trust; at one point, Joe humiliates him with a fake chance at calling home ([59:38]).

  • "There was no dial tone, just silence. The telephone had been disconnected from the wall. It was just one of Joe's sick pranks." – Courtney ([59:38])

The Escape and Rescue

• Joe's Overconfidence: Wrapping Thad's mangled legs in bandages, Joe leaves for a party ([57:10], [61:41]).
• Heroic Escape: Thad crawls through excruciating pain, breaks out of a locked closet with an electric guitar, and makes it to the kitchen phone ([65:35], [71:04]).
  • Crawling, passing out from the agony, hiding from Joe and his girlfriend’s return ([67:33]).
• The 911 Call: Thad calmly relays his situation. Officers almost think it's a prank due to his composure ([76:47]-[76:55]).
  • "Help. I've been kidnapped. Both his legs are broken..." – 911 transcript ([76:47])
• Police Response: Officers break in, discover the full horror. Thad's life is saved just in time ([78:44], [80:48]).

Shocking Revelations and Justice

• Thad’s testimony implicates Joe in Chris Steiner’s murder ([80:48]).
• Chris’s body is exhumed; X-rays reveal breaks that exactly match Thad’s, confirming a connection ([83:43]).
  • "They saw that his legs were broken and shattered just like Thad Phillips's...investigators even put Thad's X-rays and Chris's X-rays on top of one another, and it revealed perfectly aligned broken bones." – Colin ([83:43])
• Investigators discover Joe kept lists of boys “to break,” suggesting planned, ongoing predation ([83:43]).

The Trials

• Thad’s Trial (1996): Joe pleads not guilty by mental defect, claims blackouts due to head injury, but four psychologists—including Dr. Park Dietz (Dahmer trial)—find he is sane; diagnosed as a sadist with antisocial personality ([90:08]).
• Thad, despite being shot in an unrelated incident prior to testifying, gives vivid, powerful testimony ([91:23]-[93:28]).
  • "Thad sat in front of the courtroom and retold the story...he grabbed my throat, twisted my right ankle, I could feel it snap. When I looked down, my foot was on backwards." ([93:28])
• Joe found guilty, sentenced to 100 years ([94:08]).
• Chris Steiner’s Trial (1997): Joe’s mother tries to provide an alibi but is undermined by her own credibility and evidence; Joe found guilty of murder, sentenced to life plus 40 years ([98:33]).
  • "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." – Courtney ([98:33])
• Appeals denied; Clark remains in prison, not eligible for parole until 2090 ([100:46]).

Aftermath & Reflection

• Thad awarded $21 million in damages but never receives it ([100:46]).
• Community rallies to support Thad; GoFundMe established.
• Multiple surgeries, permanent limp, but Thad survives and becomes a father, living in Baraboo ([103:03]–[105:12]).
• Detective’s tribute:
  • "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...he's a true hero." – Det. Kevin Hemerel ([105:12])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Description | |-----------|---------|-------------------| | 10:51 | Colin | “But Chris never emerged. He was gone... 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.” | | 27:57 | George Steiner (via hosts) | “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.” | | 41:23 | Thad Phillips (recounting) | “It happened so quick, I didn't really know what was happening. After he broke my ankle, I kind of had a clue...this guy's not messing around.” | | 49:03 | Thad Phillips (via hosts) | “It was like he was getting high from it or something. I can't explain it.” (Joe’s fascination with breaking bones) | | 67:33 | Courtney | “Organizing your finances on your own can be stressful...” (skipped, ad section) | | 91:23 | Colin | “He grabbed my throat, twisted my right ankle. I could feel it snap. And when I looked down, my foot was on backwards.” (Thad’s courtroom testimony) | | 93:28 | Colin | “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.” | | 98:33 | Courtney | “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.” | | 105:12 | Det. Kevin Hemerel (via hosts) | “He’s a true hero. End quote.” (On Thad’s courage and survival) |

Important Timestamps

• [04:28] Start of Baraboo Bone Breaker case introduction
• [08:38] Background of Chris Steiner and his family
• [10:51] Disappearance and discovery of evidence at home
• [17:47] Family’s search and missing persons investigation
• [22:34] Joe Clark enters the picture
• [31:37] Introduction of Phillips family
• [33:26] Thad’s abduction
• [38:18]–[45:30] Description of torture
• [49:03] Joe’s confession of fascination with breaking bones
• [59:38] Joe’s fake phone “prank” and psychological torture
• [65:35] Thad’s escape and crawl to the telephone
• [76:47]–[76:55] The crucial and calm 911 call
• [83:43] Discovery of identical injuries on Chris and Thad
• [90:08] Psychiatric assessment and courtroom findings
• [93:28] Thad’s testimony and verdict
• [98:33] Chris Steiner’s trial and outcome
• [103:03]–[105:12] Reflections on Thad’s aftermath and heroism

Tone and Style

The hosts maintain a compassionate, detailed, and gripping narrative style, blending facts with emotional resonance. Direct attribution and reconstructed dialogue immerse listeners in the anguish, urgency, and ultimately hope of Thad Phillips’s survival and testimony.

Summary

Episode 229 of Murder In America exposes the horrifying crimes of Joe Clark, the Baraboo Bone Breaker—a teenager who shattered the peaceful image of a Wisconsin town through the sadistic torture and murder of young boys. Through the heartbreaking journey of Chris Steiner’s family, the unthinkable ordeal and resilience of Thad Phillips, and the dogged determination for justice, this episode is as much about unimaginable cruelty as it is about courage and the power of survival. Thanks to Thad’s heroism, which saved himself and countless others, and the relentless love of the victims’ families, the truth finally surfaced, and a predator was permanently removed from society.

To support Thad Phillips’ ongoing recovery, consider donating to the GoFundMe shared by the hosts in the episode description.