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Learn more@WhatsApp.com In October 1992, 11 year old Shawna Howe was kidnapped off the streets of Oil City, Pennsylvania. Local officials and community volunteers searched everywhere for the little girl until three days later, right before Halloween. When they found her body about eight miles outside of town at a local camping site. It looked like Shauna's killer had thrown her off a bridge and into the rocky creek below. The crime shook the community. The city council even banned nighttime trick or treating on Halloween indefinitely. No one felt safe until Shawna's killer was apprehended. But for years there were no arrests and the case started to go cold. Detectives got reassigned or retired, and the people of Oil City were left to wonder if there would always be a murderer in their midst. In January 1998, after six long years, a new investigator was given Shawna's file. His name was Rich Graham, and he was a former patrol officer who'd been promoted to detective. Graham took his new assignment seriously. One of the first things he did was visit Lucy Howe, Shawna's Mom. He introduced himself and told her confidently that he would solve the case no matter how long it took. Lucy had heard that before, but something about Graham's conviction gave her hope. He had a full workload as a detective, something like 72 active cases at once. But he was obsessed with Shauna's. Every night, he went home and reviewed the files. He pored over them again and again, making sure he'd absorbed all the details. Through that process, he kept coming back to one line in the coroner's report. The medical examiner had determined that Shauna's kidnapper must have kept her alive for the three days she was missing. But there were no signs of restraints on her wrists or ankles. This suggested more than one person had been involved. When there are multiple assailants, someone can always stand guard, so there's no need for restraints. Initially, detectives assumed Shauna's killer was the one whose DNA was on her body suit, so they'd ruled out anyone who wasn't a match. While that was still possible, Graham's revelation opened the doors to another possibility. That if more than one person had been involved, then maybe they shouldn't be so focused on the DNA. Because chances were, the killer's accomplice was someone the police had already looked into and mistakenly ruled out. After Graham's realization, he and his fellow detectives reviewed the persons of interest over the years, and that brought them back to a man in his early 40s named Eldred Ted Walker. Walker was the pizza parlor employee who knew Shauna and her friends, the one who was always trying to give the school girls hugs, even though they ran away from him. He lived in what detectives described as a flop house. All manner of people came in and out of the place, and he often invited local kids over. Detectives had found Walker suspicious for a number of reasons. First, he knew who Shauna was. Second, he fit the description of her kidnapper given by a witness. And third, he drove a small red car, the type the abductor had forced Shauna into. But he'd been ruled out because he wasn't a match for the DNA found on Shauna's bodysuit. Now, detectives took a deeper look, and they found that after Shawna's murder in 1992, the fire department had gotten an emergency call. Apparently, Walker's red car had been found engulfed in flames. First responders put out the blaze, and that was that. Nothing more had been made of it at the time. But when Detective Graham saw that report, his stomach sank. He had a feeling the car had been purposefully set on fire to destroy evidence. It was enough to bring Walker in for questioning. One of Graham's fellow detectives took the lead on interrogating Walker. Of course, Walker denied any involvement. But when the detective asked Walker how he'd learned about Shawna's abduction, Walker gave a straightforward answer. His two friends, Jimmy and Tim o', Brien, came over to his house and told him. That piqued investigators interest. Walker could have given any vague answer. Pretty much everyone in town had known about the kidnapping within hours. And yet he specifically named those two men who just happened to be violent sexual offenders. Detective Graham reached out to the previous lead on the case, retired detective Chuck Daley. He asked if they'd looked into the o'. Briens. Daley said yes, but the brothers couldn't have been responsible because they'd been in jail at the time. That puzzled Graham. If that were true, then how did they tell Walker about Shauna's abduction? It would have been an odd lie for Walker to tell. And that was when Graham realized. In all the time he'd spent sifting through the case files, he'd never actually seen any paperwork that confirmed the O' Briens had been in jail in October 1992. So he started poking around. And what he eventually found shocked him. The brothers hadn't been in jail at the time. They had been out on bond. Graham couldn't believe it. All that time they'd ruled out the two men because of false information. But it was possible they'd been the ones responsible all along. At that point, both brothers were behind bars for separate crimes. 27 year old Jimmy O' Brien was in the state prison. He'd been arrested by oil City Police three years earlier in 1995 for trying to abduct a woman and stuffing her in a trunk. The case was eerily similar to Shawna's, and it's what first put detectives onto Jimmy. Meanwhile, his brother, 32 year old Tim, was being held in the nearby county jail on sexual assault charges. Graham didn't waste any time. He rushed down to the station to talk to him. He asked the older brother if he would give a DNA sample. Tim hemmed and hawed. Then he said he had to check with his attorney. That was a red flag as far as Graham was concerned. But he nodded, knowing he would get the sample he needed one way or another. As he turned to leave, he caught something out of the corner of his eye and froze. There on the table was a candy wrapper that Tim had discarded. A chill went down Graham's spine. It was Just like the one that had been found on the bridge near Shauna's body. Graham knew in his gut that he had the right guy, at least one of them. And once he found the second, he was finally going to make them pay for the murder of Shauna Howe.

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A (14:11)

Well I was down on my last dollar Then I started saving Cuz the bank said fiscal restraint is what you're craving so I put my earnings in a high yield account Let the savings compound and the interest mount I'm optimizing cash flow putting debt in check now time is my friend and not a pain in the neck and we've got a cash to rebuild the old deck Boring money moves make kind of lame songs but they sound pretty sweet to your wallet PNC bank brilliantly boring. Since 1865, detectives spent more than six years searching for a match for the DNA sample found on Shawna Howe's Halloween costume. But around 1998, Detective Rich Graham took the lead on the case and narrowed in on three previous suspects. 40 year old Ted Walker, 32 year old Tim O', Brien, and 27 year old Jimmy O'. Brien. Initially, Walker had been ruled out because he wasn't a DNA match. But investigators were now considering that more than one person might have been involved. So he was back under the microscope as a possible accomplice. However, the o' Brien brothers were never asked for a sample back in 1992. Authorities believe they were in prison at the time of Shawna's murder. In reality, they were out on bond. And at some point in the late 90s, Detective Graham managed to get DNA swabs from both brothers. Unfortunately, DNA testing takes a while and there's all kinds of bureaucracy about which case takes priority. So even once, Graham submitted the samples and he didn't get immediate results. But eventually, in February 2002, nearly 10 years after Shawna's murder and four years after first visiting Tim in jail, Graham got a call from the crime lab. Tim o' Brien wasn't a match, but his brother Jimmy was. Graham and his fellow investigators were floored. Finally, they had a match, which meant they had to talk to Jimmy ASAP. On March 1, 2002, authorities transferred Jimmy from the state prison to FBI offices for questioning. It was disappointing Jimmy refused to say anything except that he was innocent. Jimmy's mother believed her son was being set up. She said he often went camping in the area where Shawn was found. The police must have gotten his DNA from some trash and were now falsely accusing him. Despite her pleas, investigators weren't buying it. Because Jimmy was a suspect, it meant his brother, 36 year old Tim O', Brien, was too. They were incredibly close, and both of them had been mentioned by Walker. If one was involved, the other probably was. Also, Walker hadn't escaped suspicion either. Although he was the only one who'd offered detectives any information, they still felt like he was holding something back. In March of that same year, the FBI got a warrant to search Walker's house. The media caught wind of the raid and staked out the front, eager to capture any new developments in the story. Walker reportedly started talking to some of the journalists. He admitted that he'd let all sorts of people into his house over the years, and he was worried that some of them were really bad people who might have done some awful things. He was obviously trying to distance himself from the crime, but it didn't work. Whatever the police found in his house, it was enough for them to want to question him further. On June 28, 2002, investigators brought Walker down to the station, and they kept pressing him for details on Shawna's murder. And after several hours, they finally wore him down. Eventually, Walker confessed that he had been a part of the kidnapping. In fact, he'd been the man in the baseball cap who'd snatched Shawna off the street. Walker told detectives that he'd gotten Shauna to approach him by asking if she was selling girl scout cookies. Then, when she was close enough, he grabbed her and hauled her to the car, where he handed her to Tim. Jimmy was in the driver's seat. Then the three men drove Shauna back to Walker's house. According to Walker, once they got to his place, Tim and Jimmy brought Shauna upstairs. He heard her screaming and struggling, and he told the brothers to keep her quiet by giving her candy. He claimed he overheard them sexually assaulting her. Walker said that afterwards, the brothers left with Shauna and he didn't see her again. It was possible the o' Briens dumped her bodysuit but kept her alive in the trunk of the car for the next three days. That might explain the rug burns later found on her knees. They could have been from the trunk's carpeting. Based on Walker's testimony, detectives figured the brothers must have realized Shauna would be able to identify them. Which meant they couldn't let her live. Presumably, that was when they took her to the bridge and threw her off the ledge into the rocky creek 30ft below. Listening to Walker's confession, Detective Graham felt sick to his stomach. The o' Brien brothers were pure evil, and they'd escaped justice for far too long. And while Walker played dumb, Graham didn't want to let him off either. He may not have been the one to abuse Shauna, but without him, none of this would have happened. It had been his house, his car, his friends, and for all that he needed to pay. Oil City detectives had Walker's statement implicating himself and the o' Brien brothers. And they had a DNA sample from the semen stain on Shawna's bodysuit that matched Jimmy o'. Brien. But for some reason, arrest didn't come immediately. It would take two more years until the summer of 2004, when authorities finally charged Jimmy and Tim O' Brien with the abduction and murder of Shawna. How? The official charges were first degree murder, second degree murder, rape, kidnapping, and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Between 2002 and 2004, Walker had tried to take back his confession. He said police had used coercive tactics and that he'd never seen Shawna in his life. He claimed that everything he told the police had been misconstrued. That didn't stop officers from arresting him. In July 2004, he was arraigned on charges of second degree murder and kidnapping. It was an important step, but the work wasn't over. Now prosecutors had to find a way to ensure that all three men would be convicted. In September 2005, the authorities offered Walker a plea deal. If he testified against the o', Briens, he could plead guilty to lesser charges in exchange for a lighter sentence. As in third degree murder, not second. Only three states hand out third degree murder charges, and Pennsylvania is one of them. It's when someone intentionally causes a person's death while committing a dangerous act. The penalty is up to 40 years in prison. Walker thought about it, then signed on the dotted line. He claimed he'd lied over the years because he was afraid of losing his own children if he was arrested. But he was willing to come clean now so that Shawna's family could have peace. Of course, the real reason was probably much simpler. Walker didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison, or worse, be sent to death row if a jury decided he was more involved than he'd initially claimed. But depending on how their trials went, it seemed like that's exactly where Jimmy and Tim o' Brien were headed. So good, so good. So good.

B (23:04)

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B (23:59)

Massachusetts your favorite true crime series, 48 Hours is back for a new season and so is the official after show podcast Postmortem. Every Monday, listen to a new episode of 48 Hours and then join me 48 Hours. Correspond Ann Marie Green on Tuesday for a new episode of Postmortem where we bring you a closer look at each case. This case was eye opening on so many different levels. Follow and listen to 48 Hours on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.

A (24:34)

In 2004, 33 year old Jimmy and 39 year old Tim O' Brien were charged with kidnapping, raping and killing 11 year old Shawna Howe in Oil City, Pennsylvania. In September 2005, 46 year old Ted Walker accepted a plea deal. He agreed to testify against the o' Brien brothers in exchange for a lesser sentence of third degree murder and kidnapping. Around the same time that Walker took his plea deal, an inmate who knew Tim o' Brien came forward and independently corroborated Walker's story. The inmate said that Tim had admitted that he and Jimmy had thrown Shawna off a bridge near Coulter's Hole. This was just the information prosecutors needed and they were confident heading into the trial. The O' Brien's trial began in October 2005, just over a year after they were officially charged. By that point, Shawna's family had moved away from Oil City, but they returned to sit in the courtroom during the two week hearing. Shawna's mother Lucy had been numb ever since the arrests were made. She had never met the o' Briens and had no idea why they Targeted Shawna. But she hoped the jury found both men guilty and gave them the death penalty for what they did to her daughter. For the next two weeks, Lucy and her family sat in the courtroom and listened to the prosecution lay out all the facts of the case. The prosecutors detailed how the three men had abducted Shauna off the street. Then how the o' Briens had sexually assaulted her, keeping her alive and terrified for three days. When they were finally finished with her, they tossed her from a bridge to her death. Shauna's family struggled to hear the details. It was like reliving the worst nightmare of their lives. Shauna's great aunt said it made them physically sick. But the family hoped this was the beginning of the end of this awful chapter. They just wanted these men behind bars. The brothers defense lawyers were trying to avoid just that. They argued that Jimmy and Tim had nothing to do with Shauna's death. That actually there was only one person responsible. Ted Walker, the man who had pleaded guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence. The defense painted Walker as an evil, sadistic murderer. They argued he was out to save his own skin with his plea deal and that he'd only implicated the o' Briens because the police had fed him that information. Walker was the one who knew Shawna before the kidnapping. He was the one who stalked her on her way home. And it was his car that drove away with her. The same car that ended up in flames. They added details that were rarely reported elsewhere. They had a witness who noticed the smell of rotting flesh in Walker's car after the abduction. They also said that Walker had called his ex wife the night of Shawna's abduction and said there'd been a kidnapping. He apparently said that the police would probably find Shawna's body at Coulter's Hole, where they did in fact find her three days later. The jury took all of this into consideration as the two week trial ended and they went to deliberate. They took 16 hours over two days to come to a decision. When they came back to the courtroom, Shawna's family held each other's hands and bowed their heads, waiting with bated breath. Tim o' Brien was stone faced. Jimmy was casually chewing gum. The jury read out their decision. The brothers were guilty of second degree murder, third degree murder, kidnapping, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Jimmy momentarily stopped chewing his gum. One of Shawna's uncles pumped his fist with excitement. Lucy, Shawna's mom, wiped away tears and embraced her brother. It wasn't the first degree murder count she had hoped for. Which meant the brothers wouldn't face the death penalty, but they would get a life sentence without the possibility of parole. And they'd never be able to hurt another little girl again. The whole of Oil City was thrilled that justice had finally been served. As word spread about the verdict, residents drove past the courthouse honking their horns and shouting derisive remarks about the brothers. There would be no empathy for the killers. Thanks to his plea deal, Ted Walker avoided a life sentence. But he was convicted of kidnapping and third degree murder and he got the full 40 year max penalty. Although all three men were behind bars, the ghost of Shawna's murder continued to haunt Oil City. At Halloween time, kids were still under mandate to go trick or treating during the day instead of at night. But as Halloween approached in 2008, one fifth grader decided enough was enough. Ten year old Elizabeth Rose gathered 175 signatures from the community petitioning the city council to reinstate trick or treating after dark. She even wrote them a letter stating her case. She said that Halloween decorations are best viewed at night and that more people are home to hand out candy when they're off work. The motives were so innocent. Just a kid wanting to enjoy the holiday as it should be enjoyed and to stop living in the past. The city council considered her argument, then voted unanimously in her favor. After 16 long years, Halloween was officially back. There would be extra precautions taken, of course. The police chief made a public service announcement reminding parents to accompany their kids, make sure the children are wearing reflective materials, and examine any candy before being eaten. Still, it was an important step forward for the town of Oil City. They would never forget what had happened to Port Shawna. But they didn't have to live in the shadow of that tragedy indefinitely. Ted Walker died from natural causes in October 2022 on the 30th anniversary of the discovery of Shawna's body. He was 63 at the time of his passing, still behind bars and two years away from being eligible for parole. Jimmy and Tim o' Brien are currently still serving their life sentences. If Shawna were alive Today, she'd be 44 years old. She might have had her own child by now, a child she might have helped dress up in a costume and gone trick or treating with. Sadly, she never got the chance to do any of that because three men decided to cut her life far too short, turning a holiday into a nightmare and a once happy night into the memorial of a tragedy. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is True Crime Stories come back next time for a new murder and all the people it affected. True Crime Stories is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, Rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference and to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad free and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two part series, you'll get access to both at once plus exciting bonus content. We'll be back on Tuesday. True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy and is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertzofsky, Rachel Engelman, Laurie Marinelli, Sara Camp, Alex Burns, Haniya Said and Russell Nash. Thank you for joining us. Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong is perfect for spooky season. Dive into the real life events behind the world's most terrifying blockbusters and beyond. Twisted Tales is a Crime House original. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes out every Monday.