Murder: True Crime Stories – Unsolved: Joan Risch 1
Date: March 3, 2026
Host: Carter Roy
Episode Overview
This first of a two-part series dives into the mysterious 1961 disappearance of Joan Risch, a young wife and mother living in the Boston suburbs. Host Carter Roy guides listeners through Joan’s early life marked by trauma and resilience, her rise in the publishing world, her transition to suburban homemaker, and the haunting timeline of the day she vanished. The episode lays the groundwork for next episode’s focus on the ensuing investigation, theories, and the enduring impact of this chilling unsolved case.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Joan Risch’s Early Life & Family Tragedy
- Childhood Roots: Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to Harold and Josephine Bard. Moved briefly to Chicago before settling in Mountain Lakes, NJ.
- Orphaned Young: At 8, while visiting relatives in Brooklyn, Joan lost both parents to a devastating apartment fire in the middle of the night. The fire, initially suspicious, was ultimately ruled accidental.
- “In an instant, her entire world flipped on its axis. The life she knew was gone forever.” – Carter Roy [05:36]
- Adoption and Abuse Allegations: Joan was adopted by her aunt and uncle, Alice and Frank Nattras, becoming Joan Nattras. Joan later disclosed that her uncle Frank sexually abused her during adolescence—claims some family members believed and others denied.
“What's clear is that Joan carried this experience with her for the rest of her life.”
— Carter Roy [09:42]
2. Education, Independence, and Early Career
- Academics and Ambition: Joan thrived at Wilson College, Pennsylvania, earning an English scholarship and graduating with honors. She found community, self-expression, and her footing in publishing.
- Publishing Success: Started as a secretary at Harcourt, Brace and World, quickly advancing to management.
- Sense of Self: Joan overcame traumatic losses, carving out an independent and ambitious identity in New York’s literary circles.
- “By her early 20s, Joan's life seemed settled. She had survived profound loss and found her footing.” – Carter Roy [10:30]
3. The Meeting and Marriage of Joan and Martin Risch
- A Fateful Blind Date: In 1953, Joan met Martin Risch, a Harvard Business School student, sparking an immediate, enduring connection.
- “Before they even found their seats, Joan was already smitten... She said she'd met the man she wanted to marry.” – Carter Roy [14:00]
- Marriage and New Life: After a long-distance courtship, they married in late 1955 and set up home in Brooklyn Heights.
- Career Interrupted: Joan left her blossoming publishing path after having her first child, adjusting to motherhood and a move to Ridgefield, Connecticut.
4. From Career Woman to Homemaker
- Motherhood and Restlessness: Joan had two children by 1959 (Lillian and David). She was attentive and organized, but friends sensed that she missed her publishing work.
“Some of her older friends were skeptical... They had a feeling that Joan missed her career more than she let on.”
— Carter Roy [18:08]
- Dreams Deferred: Joan aspired to return to work, perhaps as an English teacher, but focused on raising her children.
5. The Move to Lincoln, Massachusetts
- A New Start: In 1961, the family relocated for Martin’s job, settling in an affluent Boston suburb.
- Community Life: Joan was friendly but reserved, forming a helpful, if not deeply close, rapport with neighbors like Barbara Barker.
“Joan was friendly and kind, but she wasn't someone who made new friends easily. She was still that introverted girl inside.”
— Carter Roy [21:12]
- Support System: Old college friend Sabra Morton became Joan’s main confidant, providing much-needed companionship and understanding.
“For Joan, Sabra was a godsend.”
— Carter Roy [21:31]
6. The Day of Joan's Disappearance — October 24, 1961
Morning Routine
- 8AM: Martin leaves for a business trip to NYC; Joan begins the usual morning with Lillian (4) and David (2).
- Dentist appointment for Joan and Lillian; Neighbor Barbara Barker babysits David.
- Errands: Milk delivery, mail, dry cleaning drop-off (Joan lets him in to collect Martin's suits) [Minute 25:47].
Afternoon Events
- 1PM: Joan looks after neighbor’s son Douglas; serves lunch to the three kids, puts David down for a nap.
- 1:55PM: Walks Lillian and Douglas to the Barkers’ and says she’ll be back soon.
- 2:15–2:30PM: Barbara sees Joan outside her house in a trench coat, arms extended, with something red nearby—not alarming, but odd.
- “She saw Joan in the driveway wearing a trench coat. Her arms were extended outward as if she were reaching for something. Barbara noticed something red near her. She thought maybe Joan was carrying something from the car to the garage.” – Carter Roy [26:30]
- 3:30–4:00PM: Barbara brings Lillian back home; sees Joan's car in the driveway, assumes all is well.
- Lillian enters to find the kitchen in chaos: overturned table, phone ripped from wall, red liquid (“paint”) everywhere.
- Lillian, unable to find her mom or neighbor, waits until Barbara returns around 4:15PM.
- Barbara goes to investigate, finds bloodstains, retrieves crying David from his crib.
Discovery and Aftermath
- At 4:33PM, Barbara calls the Lincoln police to report Joan missing. The mystery is set in motion.
“Inside the Risch home, Lillian called out for her Mom? There was no answer... What she saw didn't make any sense.”
— Carter Roy [27:39]
Notable Quotes
-
On Joan’s emotional burden:
“What's clear is that Joan carried this experience with her for the rest of her life.”
— Carter Roy [09:42] -
On Joan and Martin’s first meeting:
“Before they even found their seats, Joan was already smitten... She said she’d met the man she wanted to marry.”
— Carter Roy [14:00] -
On Joan’s restlessness as a homemaker:
“Some of her older friends were skeptical. They had a feeling that Joan missed her career more than she let on and thought she might have been restless or even possibly resentful that she’d given it up.”
— Carter Roy [18:08] -
On the scene Lillian discovered:
“The room was a mess. The kitchen table had been overturned, the telephone had been ripped from the wall and red liquid was splattered everywhere... She thought it was paint.”
— Carter Roy [27:48] -
On the start of the mystery:
“The mystery of Joan Risch’s disappearance had only just begun, and the questions that emerged that afternoon would remain unanswered for decades.”
— Carter Roy [29:53]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Joan’s childhood tragedy and adoption: [04:45–09:45]
- Allegations of sexual abuse and aftermath: [09:25–10:30]
- College years and publishing career: [10:41–13:17]
- Meeting and marriage to Martin Risch: [13:17–15:42]
- Transition to homemaker, motherhood, and move: [15:42–21:12]
- Life in Lincoln, MA, and main relationships: [21:12–23:16]
- Morning of disappearance and day’s timeline: [25:46–29:53]
- Discovery of the crime scene: [27:39–29:53]
Memorable Moments
- Lillian’s Innocence: The heartbreaking account of four-year-old Lillian discovering the bloody scene and believing it was just “red paint” is haunting and unforgettable.
- Barbara’s Realization: The neighbor’s shift from neighborly concern to horror upon discovering the blood in Joan’s home effectively builds tension and emotion.
- “When Barbara heard that, her heart dropped. She told Lillian to go inside... the moment Barbara stepped into the Risch home... it wasn’t paint all over the kitchen. It was blood.” — Carter Roy [28:30]
- Cliffhanger Ending: The episode closes with the chilling uncertainty that would define the case for decades.
Tone and Style
Host Carter Roy maintains a narrative style that is empathetic, detailed, and focused on the human impact behind the headlines. The language is measured but intimate, encouraging listeners to not just consider the facts but to reflect on the emotional realities of the people involved.
Next Episode
Part two will delve into the investigation, the competing theories about Joan’s disappearance, and why the case remains unsolved and haunting to this day.
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