Podcast Summary: Murder: True Crime Stories

Episode: UNSOLVED: The Kellogg Murder 1
Host: Carter Roy
Date: September 23, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Carter Roy delves into the life and unsolved death of Daisy Zick, a 43-year-old woman brutally murdered in her Battle Creek, Michigan home in 1963. Exploring Daisy’s tumultuous personal life and the mounting scandals that followed her, Carter retraces her steps leading up to the murder and the immediate, botched investigation that left the case cold—and the rumor mill running rampant. This is the first episode of a two-part series, focusing on Daisy’s background, relationships, and the events of the day she was killed.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Role of Gossip and Its Deadly Consequences

• Carter introduces the theme that gossip, while sometimes harmless, can also turn deadly, setting the stage for Daisy’s story.
  • Quote: “At first, it might seem like fun and games, but if you're not careful, gossip can also be deadly. In 1963, 43-year-old Daisy Zick learned that lesson in the worst way.” (02:02)

2. Daisy Zick: Early Life and Marriages

• Birth & Childhood: Born February 5, 1919, in rural Michigan, Daisy grew up with limited education and a longing for more than small-town life.
• First Marriage to Neville King: At 14, Daisy married her 22-year-old neighbor, fleeing her sheltered upbringing for Battle Creek. The marriage quickly turned abusive.
  • Quote: “After they got married, Neville began showing his true colors. And they weren't pretty.” (07:10)
  • Details physical and emotional abuse, ending when Neville threatened to kill her. Daisy’s family supports her escape.
• Factory Work: To support herself and her son, Daisy worked at Nabisco and Kellogg’s, cementing her independence.

3. Love and the Search for Happiness

• Second Marriage to Floyd Zick: Daisy found happiness with Floyd Zick, an affable, outgoing butcher. Their early years were joyful but marred when Floyd’s drinking worsened in the 1950s.
  • Daisy sought fulfillment elsewhere, leading to a series of affairs. Her social and romantic life became an open secret:
    • Quote: “Her cheating was an open secret…gossip spread quickly. And eventually, it would be Daisy's downfall.” (15:31)

4. The Scene and Routine Before the Murder

• January 14, 1963: The Day of the Murder
  • Daisy’s morning depicted as orderly and routine: prepping lunch, speaking to her husband Floyd and boyfriend Raymond Mercer, and planning a coffee with a friend.
  • She never showed up for her coffee date or work—raising alarms among her friends, especially after attempts to contact her failed.
• Discovery of the Body
  • Floyd finds Daisy’s car abandoned, and their home’s garage and kitchen doors left open in a snowstorm.
  • Inside, Floyd finds signs of a struggle, Daisy’s uneaten lunch, blood, and ultimately her body—brutally stabbed and hidden in a bedroom.
    • Quote: “Daisy lay between the bed and the wall. One of her legs was bent at an impossible angle, and her chest, face and arms were covered in so much blood that Floyd was barely recognized her.” (22:25)

5. The Investigation: Early Clues and Community Shock

• Police arrive and begin interviewing neighbors, processing the scene, and collecting evidence amidst winter’s chaos and a compromised small ranch house.
• Notable witness statements:
  • Neighbor Mrs. DeFrance: Spotted an unfamiliar man in a blue Eisenhower jacket outside Daisy’s house after 10am. “She said she hadn't paid much attention to him. She often saw men she didn't know coming around to see Daisy.” (29:45)
  • Cleaning woman: Noticed Daisy’s bedroom drapes were open early—unusual for her.
• Evidence Collected:
  • Signs of a struggle in multiple rooms.
  • Stab wounds (not gunshot as first suspected); partial disrobing suggesting possible sexual assault.
  • Phone line cut, handful of cash missing, but not a robbery.
  • White button, a men’s shoe, distinctive fingerprints, and yellow fibers found in and near Daisy’s flashy white Pontiac Bonneville.
  • The small house and freezing conditions hampered evidence collection.

6. Theories, Suspects, and the Case’s Challenges

• Immediate suspects (husband and boyfriend) both seem to have alibis.
• Daisy’s complicated social life and many male visitors broaden the suspect pool.
  • Quote: “Given Daisy's busy social life, detectives were sure there was more to the story. And if they wanted the full picture, they'd have to look at everyone in Battle Creek as a potential suspect.” (34:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle and an end. But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon and we don't always get to know the real ending.”
  — Carter Roy (03:39)

• “She was a happy grandmother, comfortable in her own skin. Even in her mid-40s, she remained a free spirit who didn't care too much about what everyone else thought of her...But not everyone in town approved of her lifestyle and soon enough, someone aired her dirty laundry.”
  — Carter Roy (16:47)

• “That level of overkill suggested an intimate relationship with the killer, though it was too early to know for sure.”
  — Carter Roy, on the nature of the wounds (31:50)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:02] — Introduction of the case and theme of deadly gossip
• [05:31] — Daisy’s childhood, first marriage, and family life
• [12:55] — Second marriage, Floyd’s decline, Daisy’s affairs
• [16:47] — Leading up to the murder: Daisy’s adulthood and relationships
• [20:30] — The day of the murder and building concern among Daisy’s friends and family
• [22:25] — Floyd discovers Daisy’s body: descriptions of the crime scene
• [28:54] — The investigation: neighbor testimonies and police methods begin
• [32:00] — Evidence collection and early theories on the motive and perpetrator
• [34:05] — Reflection on the complexity and scale of the potential suspect pool

Episode Tone and Style

The host, Carter Roy, speaks in a clear, empathetic, and narrative-driven style, blending factual reporting with emotionally resonant storytelling. The tone is respectful yet unflinching, focusing on Daisy as a person—a mother, wife, and friend—not merely as a victim.

Next Episode Tease

Carter announces that part two will explore the flawed investigation, promising leads, public scandal, and the variety of theories that have emerged in the decades since Daisy Zick’s murder.

For more, follow @crimehouse on Instagram and listen to part two on Thursday.