Murder: True Crime Stories

Episode: UNSOLVED: The Kellogg Murder 2

Host: Carter Roy
Date: September 25, 2025

Overview

In this second installment covering the 1963 murder of Daisy Zick, host Carter Roy takes listeners deep into the investigation’s twists and heartbreaks, exploring a web of suspects, rampant rumor, and evidence that led nowhere. The episode highlights the case’s tragic missteps, the human cost to Daisy’s family, and the enduring pain and mystery for the community of Battle Creek, Michigan. Roy’s empathetic tone underscores the ongoing importance of telling such stories—where justice and closure have remained elusive.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recap and Context

• Daisy Zick, age 43, was murdered in her home in Battle Creek, Michigan, on January 14, 1963.
• Her husband Floyd discovered her body after she failed to arrive at her Kellogg’s Factory shift.
• The city was immediately awash in rumors about Daisy’s love life, mainly focusing on alleged affairs (05:07).

2. Crime Scene and Early Evidence

• Detectives located a blood-stained kitchen knife, a stray white button, and a single men’s wingtip shoe under Daisy’s bed (05:30).
• Absence of melted snow indoors suggested the killer cleaned up thoroughly and deliberately attempted to erase tracks.

Quote:
"Even though there was a snowstorm raging outside, there were no signs of melted snow on the kitchen floor. That meant the murderer took the time to clean up and cover his tracks." – Carter Roy [06:24]

• A series of fingerprints was collected from Daisy’s home and car, with hopes pinned on these forensics.

3. Witness Testimonies & the Timeline Problem

• Multiple witnesses placed a man in a blue coat at Daisy’s home around 10–10:30 AM; Daisy’s car was later abandoned on Michigan Avenue.
• Contradictions arose, particularly from the mailman William Daley, who claimed the garage was closed after 11:00 AM, raising questions about the true timeline (07:35).
• An anonymous tip about a blue car getaway was debunked, though it led to a suspect with a suspicious criminal background, who was subsequently cleared by polygraph (09:12).

4. Investigating Daisy’s Personal Relationships

• Discovery of love letters in Daisy’s locker pointed to her boyfriend, Raymond Mercer, as a person of interest.
• Raymond’s alibi (a time card and supervisor confirmation) checked out, and he cleared a polygraph (15:31).
• Floyd Zick, Daisy’s husband, also had an ironclad alibi confirmed by multiple witnesses (15:40).
• Forensics ultimately failed to produce a match: the knife’s bloodstain was inconclusive, and the only unidentified fingerprint belonged to someone not yet in police records (16:45).

5. Disruptions & Failures in the Investigation

• Key witness and friend Audrey Heminger was alienated by aggressive prosecutor tactics, turning a cooperative witness into a hostile one (17:52).
• The police, desperate for leads, investigated a former abusive ex-husband, Neville King, and even pursued mentally ill patients from the local Veterans Hospital, all to no avail (19:05).

6. The Culture at Kellogg’s Factory

• Daisy’s case shed light on a “shop wife” culture at the factory—affairs and workplace romances were rampant but unhelpful for pinning down a suspect (18:44).
• Despite the salacious gossip, detectives failed to tie any affair to credible motives for murder.

7. Breakthrough, Setbacks, and New Suspects

• In March 1963, a clearer description emerged: a slim white man, 30 years old, dark hair in a pompadour, blue jacket (26:47).
• Tragedy struck when a key investigator, Undersheriff Wayne Fitch, died, halting momentum (30:19).
• The case went cold—revived a year later by a tip about Albert Cooley, who died by suicide under police scrutiny. His brother also attempted suicide but survived (31:20).
• Due to lost paperwork and procedural failures, crucial leads were not followed.

8. The Suspicious Mailman: William Daley

• In 1967, resurfacing rumors implicated Daisy’s mailman William Daley, who had offered suspicious and shifting testimony, previously uncorroborated (33:36).
• Daley’s daughter-in-law, Susan Denny, accused him of violence and indicated he knew who killed Daisy. Coworkers also noted his erratic post-murder behavior.
• Despite strong suspicion, Daley’s fingerprints did not match the unknown print in the Pontiac, and the lack of actionable evidence meant the trail grew cold again.

Quote:
"According to Susan, William had started making sexual advances towards her... He also threatened her by explicitly saying he knew who killed Daisy Zick." – Carter Roy [36:15]

9. Closing the Case and Legacy

• Floyd Zick died in 1988 never knowing the truth.
• The case was briefly revived in 2000, but William Daley refused a final polygraph, passed away in 2011, and took his secrets with him (38:17).
• Most believe either Daley or Albert Cooley (possibly his brother as well) were the likely killers, but proof remains out of reach.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Daisy’s Spirit:
  “Over 60 years later, [Daisy]’s seen as a woman who was ahead of her time... She was a free spirit before it was fashionable. Someone who stood strong no matter what the universe threw at her.” – Carter Roy [39:57]

• On the Investigation’s Failures:
  “For whatever reason, [Prosecutor Moore] grilled [Audrey] hard... These aggressive tactics turned Audrey from a cooperative witness to a furious agitator. She left the interview in tears and refused to come back.” – Carter Roy [17:52]

• On the Community’s Unease:
  “Back then, there was no caller ID and even the telephone company couldn’t trace local calls, which meant there was no way for police to follow up. And the lack of progress only added to the stress and terror many of the residents felt.” – Carter Roy [19:40]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Case Recap & Evidence Overview: [05:07–12:30]
• Suspects and Alibis: Raymond & Floyd: [12:45–16:45]
• Autopsy and Forensics Obstacles: [16:45–18:40]
• Factory Culture and Community Impact: [18:44–19:50]
• Theories, Leads & Identikit Sketch: [23:50–26:50]
• Investigation Setbacks and Cooley Lead: [30:19–33:00]
• Suspicions Against Mailman William Daley: [33:36–38:10]
• Modern Reflections on Daisy's Legacy: [39:57–41:50]

Conclusion

This episode traces the haunting legacy of Daisy Zick’s unsolved murder, emphasizing the case’s human cost and the investigative missteps that doomed any chance of resolution. Carter Roy’s storytelling balances empathy for Daisy and her family with a clear-eyed analysis of how societal attitudes, workplace cultures, and police errors shaped the story. The episode ends as it began—in respect for Daisy’s hard-won independence and the hope that remembering her story might bring some measure of justice, even sixty years too late.