A (5:07)

On January 14, 1963, 43 year old Daisy Zick was murdered at her home in Battle Creek, Michigan. Her husband, 45 year old Floyd, found Daisy's body after she missed her afternoon shift at the local Kellogg's factory. News of Daisy's death spread through the town fast. And before the police had even finished examining the crime scene, sordid rumors about Daisy's love life were already flying. People whispered that she'd been sleeping with at least a dozen different employees worked on the factory floor. They wondered if her tumultuous relationships had played a role in the murder. At that point, detectives were unaware of the gossip. Instead, they were focused on gathering evidence. And they'd identified several important clues. First was the knife they'd found in the kitchen sink. There was a small, dark speck on the blade that looked like blood. It was possible it had come from cutting meat. But the blade was almost 4 inches long. Enough to explain the devastating stab wounds covering Daisy's chest. And back then there was the location of the knife, which was found in the sink. Normally, that Wouldn't have been too strange. But Daisy kept her home spotless. She wasn't the kind of person to leave dirty dishes sitting around even for a moment. To detectives, it seemed more likely that her killer had placed it there, Especially because several witnesses suggested the intruder had entered through a side door that led to the kitchen. 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, which might have included washing the murder weapon. Beside the knife, there was also a stray white button and a single men's wingtip shoe found under Daisy's bed. Neither one seemed to match any of her or Floyd's clothing. Last and most promising of all was a series of fingerprints collected from Daisy's home and the interior of her car. While the forensics team started testing the evidence, detectives tried to nail down what actually happened that day. Thanks to testimony from her neighbors across the street, the police had a rough timeline. They believe Daisy was attacked somewhere between 10 and 10:30 that morning by a man in a blue coat who was seen outside her kitchen door. Afterward, the killer fled in Daisy's white Pontiac, abandoning the car on the side of Michigan Avenue a few miles away. There was a faint trail of footprints in the snow next to the vehicle, which seemed to indicate he'd fled on foot from there. Most of the witnesses were sure that Daisy's garage door was open by 11am meaning the killer was already gone by that point. Only one person said Otherwise. The mailman. 38 year old William Daley, swore the garage was still closed when he passed by and after 11. If that was true, that meant the murder had taken place much later than detectives theorized. And that wasn't William's only claim. He also said he saw a suspicious man walking down Michigan avenue at around 10am According to William, he had a disturbing smile on his face. Detectives went down to Michigan Avenue hoping to find someone to corroborate William's story. No one else had seen the suspicious man, but there were plenty of people who'd noticed Daisy's white Pontiac. Sergeant Fred Ritchie of the Sheriff's department had seen it pulled over on the side of the road as he headed to the courthouse that morning. He wasn't sure what time it was, but there was definitely a man in a blue coat walking away from the vehicle. Whoever he was, the stranger was heading towards downtown Battle Creek on foot. Unfortunately, not many other people recalled seeing that strange man in the blue coat. They did remember the Pontiac but they couldn't agree on the exact time it showed up. A couple claimed to have seen it around 10:30am while others believe it didn't show up until 11. Then there was another witness who said it was more like noon. A woman named Maud Brooker was a little more helpful. She lived down the street from the Zix and said she spotted a gray car she didn't recognize parked near her mailbox until around noon. At first, detectives thought that might have been the killer's getaway car. But then a local newspaper, the Enquirer and News, dropped a bombshell article. The morning after daisy's death. On January 15, 1963, they reported a tip from a man whose vehicle had broken down on Michigan Avenue right across from where the Pontiac was pulled over. According to the witness, he saw a man exit the vehicle and climb into the passenger seat of a blue car parked right behind it. Detective Charles Kahn, one of the lead investigators, eventually tracked down the anonymous tipster. But under questioning, the man broke down almost immediately. He admitted to making the whole story up for attention. Even so, he swore he'd seen a hitchhiker in the general area that morning, though he didn't say what he was wearing. Detective Khan was understandably wary, but he followed up on the tip anyway. It led him to a 29 year old with a suspicious criminal history. The suspect had been arrested twice before. Once for breaking into a home and once for soliciting a random housewife for sex. Detective Kahn wondered if he'd tried the same thing on Daisy. Maybe she'd refused his advances and things turned ugly. That was just a theory, though. Khan tracked down the suspect and brought him to the police station. The man was cooperative. He swore he hadn't been anywhere near Daisy's home that morning and even volunteered to take a polygraph test. When he passed with flying colors, he was removed from the suspect list for the time being. That left police with a basic timeline but no strong leads, which meant authorities had to widen their net. Two days after Daisy's death, on January 16, Detective Khan stopped by the Kellogg's factory floor. Before talking to Daisy's co workers, he checked out her locker. Most of the contents were pretty standard. Talcum powder, hairspray, some spare clothes and shoe polish. But buried beneath all that, he found something more interesting. A trove of love letters with her name on them. They were stashed away next to a pair of gift wrapped presents intended for Daisy's boyfriend, Raymond Mercer. Though their affair was common knowledge in town, these gifts marked the first time Police heard about it soon afterward. Daisy's best friend and coworker was Audrey Heminger confirmed the details of their relationship to police. When Detective Khan brought the presence up to Raymond's office, the 39 year old didn't deny what was going on, but he insisted he had no motive for killing Daisy. The two of them had been dating for years and their relationship was a happy one. It's not clear if Raymond's wife knew about the affair or. But Floyd almost certainly did. Either way, Raymond insisted he was at work when Daisy died. As evidence, he handed over his time card. It showed he'd clocked in long before 10am that wasn't enough for Detective Kahn, though. Back then, it wasn't hard to commit time card fraud. It was as simple as having a friend clock in for you. And even if Raymond had arrived on time, he could have left right after that Would have given him over an hour to commit the murder and return to work before Daisy's body was found. Kahn only became more suspicious when a co worker said he didn't notice Raymond in the cafeteria during their lunch break at 10:40. When they'd met up again about a half hour later, he said Raymond seemed nervous. When Detective Khan heard that, alarm bells started blaring in his head. Raymond claimed to have loved Daisy. But was it all a ruse? Was it possible that he was her killer?

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The Limu Emu in its natural habitat helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty, Liberty Savings. Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts. After 43 year old Daisy Zick was found stabbed to death in her Battle Creek, Michigan home, detectives worked around the clock to find her killer. On January 15, 1963, the day after Daisy's murder, Detective Charles Kahn paid a visit to the Kellogg's Factory where she worked. There. He quickly honed in on her co worker and boyfriend, Raymond Mercer. Although Raymond insisted he'd been at work when Daisy was killed, a fellow employee disputed his story. He claimed he didn't see Raymond during lunch, and when they crossed paths later, Raymond apparently seemed nervous. However, one of Raymond's supervisors confirmed he was in the cafeteria that day after all. Based on Kahn's working timeline, that meant Raymond couldn't have killed Daisy, then returned to the factory. Even so, Khan had him take a polygraph test later that day. Raymond passed easily. He also confirmed that the black wingtip shoe wasn't his. At that point, Khan was still suspicious, but he couldn't argue with the evidence. That left one other potential suspect, Daisy's husband, Floyd. His alibi was even more solid than Raymond's. Plenty of witnesses confirmed Floyd was working at the butcher shop all morning. It was possible he could have murdered Daisy before leaving that morning. But both Audrey and Raymond had spoken to her once. He was already at the shop. It was yet another dead end. Detective Kahn's two prime suspects were no longer viable. And although he had a slew of scattered witness testimony, no one could provide a good description of the killer. Everyone was bundled up against the cold that morning. It was hard to tell one person from the next. That put all the pressure on the forensics team to find enough evidence to crack the case. An autopsy had been performed the night of Daisy's murder. The medical examiner, Dr. Richard Block, counted 27 stab wounds in total. There were slashes on her upper arms and a massive bruise behind her right ear. Clearly, she'd fought back hard against her assailant. Dr. Block wasn't sure what had caused the wounds, but he didn't think it was the kitchen knife that was found in the sink. In his opinion, the blade was too blunt to be fatal. The authorities, especially Detective Kahn, strongly disagreed. While a direct thrust may not have been enough to kill Daisy, and an angled cut with the edge of the blade could have been deadly. So even though Dr. Block didn't think it was likely, Kahn walked out of the autopsy believing he'd recovered the murder weapon. But his certainty didn't last long. Forensics confirmed the stain was blood, but there wasn't enough to draw any other conclusions. They couldn't even tell if the blood was human, much less a match to any particular suspect. Sadly, the technology back in 1963 just wasn't up to that kind of task. But it could reveal other important information. The next day. Experts were able to identify many of the Fingerprints pulled from Daisy's house and car. Unfortunately, they all belong to people with solid alibis. Either Daisy's husband Floyd, or her boyfriend Raymond. There was only one unknown print taken from the rear view mirror of the Pontiac. Investigators hope that was the one that belonged to the killer. Meanwhile, detectives turned to other suspects, including Daisy's friend Audrey. They thought she knew more than she let on about Daisy's affairs, But truthfully, they just didn't know who else to interrogate at that point. The local prosecutor, Noble Moore, was especially fixated on Audrey. For whatever reason, he grilled her hard when she came down to the station. He even implied she was secretly in on the murder. These aggressive tactics turned Audrey from a cooperative witness to a furious agitator. She left the interview in tears and refused to come back for further questioning. Prosecutor Moore had nothing to show for his brute force approach. Worse, he may have sabotaged a key source of information. It was a low point for investigators, but they weren't giving up just yet, because there was one person they still needed to speak with. Daisy's ex husband, Neville King. He'd severely abused her during their marriage 20 years earlier. Investigators tracked him down in Elkhart, Indiana, about 80 miles from Battle Creek. Neville was surprisingly cooperative. He made it clear he wasn't on good terms with Daisy, more or less describing her as a party girl. That being said, he'd hardly spoken to her since 1944, almost 20 years earlier. His bosses confirmed he was at work on the day of the murder. He couldn't have been the killer. While investigators decided what to do next, paranoia spread throughout Battle Creek. A week after the murder, Floyd started receiving a series of unsettling calls. There was no voice on the other end of the line, only creepy, heavy breathing. One neighbor reported the same thing, but she also heard a female voice a few times who said a woman killed Daisy before hanging up. 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. Investigators had to do something. At the request of prosecutor Moore, they returned to the Kellogg's factory for another round of interviews. This time, their findings were X rated. They learned that Daisy wasn't the only employee having an affair. Somehow, Kellogg's had developed a distinct culture of its own, one where business and pleasure went hand in hand. Apparently, it was common for male office workers to hook up with the women working on the factory floor, taking what they Termed shop wives, some were more brazen than others, but it wasn't unusual to find used condoms in the parking lot or back rooms. The night shift was the craziest of all. Workers often snuck alcohol and record players in once the sun went down, turning the factory into a dance floor for all the cheating couples. Of course, many employees kept their heads down and focused on the job at hand. But Daisy had worked the graveyard shift for years before switching to the afternoon, and she definitely took part in the nighttime festivities. Judging by the police interviews, she was generally well liked at the factory. But almost every employee commented on her flirtatious personality. Detectives looked into the rumors about her affairs, but found them to be pure gossip. Their salacious discoveries were fascinating, but they didn't help investigators identify any new suspects. No one there knew who owned the black wingtip shoe either. Detectives left the factory frustrated. They needed to make progress and fast. With their reputations on the line, state police worked overtime to try and make some headway. They widened their suspect pool to anyone who matched the flimsy description of the killer they had so far. A man of average height with dark hair and a blue jacket. That meant a lot of people were suddenly under a microscope. Hundreds of fingerprints were collected from employees at the Kellogg's factory, many of whom had never spoken to Daisy. Investigators even tracked down a baffled man who had a fender bender with her the previous year. It took months to compile the interviews and finish examining the fingerprints. In the end, there were zero matches. Clearly, this wasn't the way to find Daisy's killer, whoever he was. So they turned to more unconventional methods. Because of how brutal the murder was, a few detectives believed it may have been a random attack by a disturbed individual. These suspicions took them to the Battle Creek Veterans Hospital. Current and former patients with a history of mental health problems were tracked down and interrogated. Considering the circumstances, that was easier said than done. Though many of the former patients sent police on wild goose chases with extraordinary stories and fake addresses. Another month passed as officers followed and discounted all the false leads. By spring, the police were on the verge of giving up. Most detectives believe Daisy's murder was somehow connected to her love life. But they didn't even have a solid description of the killer. However, that changed on March 23, 1963. That day, a 49 year old man named Garrett Meir reached out to the authorities. He said that on the day of the murder, he got stuck near Michigan Avenue behind a white Pontiac. The driver was going incredibly slow and weaving in and out of the lanes. Making Garrett furious. When he finally passed the car and gave the stink eye to the person driving, that's when he got a good look at the guy. Garrett didn't follow the news too closely, so he hadn't reported the incident until now. But according to him, the driver was a slim white man around 30 years old. He was clean shaven and good looking. He had dark hair styled in something like a pompadour. Garrett also confirmed he was wearing a dark blue jacket. Investigators used a tool called an identikit to try and get a picture of the suspect. With Garrett's help, they layered a series of transparent slides on top of each other with different facial characteristics. One had a thin nose, a dimpled chin, a wide mouth, and so on. The final result was a rough caricature of the suspect. It wasn't as precise as a professional sketch artist. It got the job done though. But before they could follow up, an unexpected tragedy would throw one more wrench in the investigation and it threatened to destroy the entire case.

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A (29:27)

Culpable, and I want to tell you about this case I've been following in a small Ohio town. When 17 year old Danny Violet stormed out of his house one afternoon in 1998, his family thought it was just another episode of teenage angst and he'd return home safely.

B (29:41)

The longer it went, the more worried I was because he never disappeared like that.

A (29:47)

But their worst fears materialized when his lifeless asphyxiated body was later found in a nearby cornfield. He asphyxiates in a cornfield? You can't hang yourself from a cornflower stock. The rumor mill in the small Town has brought many theories, but the question remains, what happened to Danny?

B (30:05)

Did they get scared and have to dump the body? Was this just all good fun that went bad? Because if you are doing acid, God knows the different possibilities.

A (30:19)

From Tenderfoot tv, an all new season of culpable is available now. By May 1963, four months after Daisy Zick was murdered, things were looking grim. Though detectives had gathered some key pieces of evidence, they lacked a suspect with a strong motive. They finally had a rough sketch of the killer. But before they could start looking for a match, the case suffered a fatal blow. On May 7, the Undersheriff Wayne Fitch had a fatal heart attack while mowing his church's lawn. He'd been handling the local side of the investigation, so his death set back the police's estimated timeline and ultimately stalled the case altogether. In October 1963, ten months after Daisy's death, the case was officially pronounced cold. It was a punch to the gut. The people of Battle Creek, Michigan were still desperate to find Daisy's murderer. And in January 1964, a year after the murder, someone finally came forward with new information. An anonymous tipster claimed that a man named Albert Cooley was responsible for Daisy's death. A part time bartender and truck driver, Albert lived within walking distance of the spot where Daisy's Pontiac was abandoned. Just like that, the case was up and running. An officer named Roy Bechtel took charge of the revived investigation. He quickly interviewed Albert and pressed him about his relationship with Daisy. During the interrogation, Albert was nervous and evasive. Of course, that didn't mean Albert was guilty, but he seemed too cagey for Officer Bechtel's liking. Eventually, Albert agreed to come in for a polygraph test. But just a few hours later, after sundown, he drove to a nearby service station, locked himself inside, and died by suicide from carbon monoxide fumes. A tragedy like that made Officer Bechtel think Albert was hiding something. He became even more certain when he responded to a distress call in a hayfield. Shortly after there, he found Albert's brother on the verge of suicide too. The man was rushed to the hospital and ended up surviving. Clearly, these incidents should have warranted further investigation. But the local police department dropped the ball. Back in 1964, they didn't have a reliable filing system in place. So unfortunately, Officer Bechtel's account of the interview with Albert Cooley was lost in Daisy's case folder. And no one followed up. It wasn't until a year and a half later, in November 1965, that another detective took A look the case. He found the information on Albert Cooley and compared Albert's fingerprints to the one discovered in the Pontiac. Apparently, he wasn't able to find a solid match. As for Albert's brother, he never had his fingerprints taken or compared. Once again, the investigation stalled, with more recent crimes taking up the small department's attention. Even then, the case didn't disappear from the public's mind. And four years after the murder, another tip came in. In 1967, a Battle Creek resident said he'd overheard Daisy's mailman, William Daley, threatening a woman at a local bar. When she refused to dance with him, William told her he'd do quote, what had been done to Daisy Zick. After Daisy's murder, William had been one of the first people to be interviewed. And his testimony was among the most puzzling. Every other witness claimed Daisy's garage door was open by 11am But William insisted it was closed. He also claimed that he'd seen a suspicious man walking down Michigan Avenue before, before the Pontiac was abandoned. A story that no one else could corroborate. At the time, police assumed he was just confused and never viewed him as an actual suspect. Now all of that had changed. Eventually, officers tracked 42 year old William down to a nearby trailer park. According to them, William was, quote, sensitive, emotional and overly talkative. He stuck to his original story about the garage but changed his account of the suspicious man on Michigan Avenue. Now he claimed he'd seen a suspicious woman instead. He also lied to their faces. Detectives knew he'd been arrested for assaulting his daughter in law the year prior. But when they brought it up, William insisted he'd actually attacked his ex wife's lover. Then at the end of the interview, William said he was willing to take a polygraph, but he was planning on moving soon. He couldn't guarantee he'd still be around to take the test. The whole thing made detectives extremely suspicious. They submitted William's fingerprints to the crime lab. They were hopeful they'd finally cracked the case. Unfortunately, William's prints didn't match the one from the Pontiac. But that didn't mean he wasn't involved in Daisy's murder. Ten months later, detectives decided to interview Susan Denny, William's daughter in law. And she had plenty to say about him. According to Susan, William had started making sexual advances towards her in 1966, three years after Daisy's murder. During one of those incidents, Susan locked herself in a room to get away from William. That's when he broke down the door and tried to choke her. He also threatened her by explicitly saying he knew who killed Daisy Zick. When the detectives heard that, their ears perked up. They asked Susan if she'd seen William the day of the murder. It turned out she did. According to Susan, he was acting really strange that day and told conflicting stories about who he saw on Michigan Avenue. One of William's co workers confirmed that he was behaving erratically that day. She also mentioned that William had a dark, possibly blue jacket he often wore after Daisy died. She never saw him wear it again. With all signs pointing to William, detectives were eager to interview him again. But by then he'd already moved out of state. Although several detectives were convinced he was their man, they didn't have enough proof to get a warrant. After that, the case went cold again. There were a couple more attempts to revive it over the next few years, but little progress was made. Daisy's husband, Floyd Zick, passed away in 1988 without ever knowing who killed his wife. The case files continued to gather dust until the year 2000, when 75 year old William Daley was diagnosed with cancer. Detectives showed up at his hospital. They wanted to try to get him to take a polygraph test one last time. He refused to participate, saying he wasn't interested in clearing his name. He ended up surviving the illness, dying 11 years later in his home. The investigation died along with William. Nowadays, most detectives believe either he or Albert Cooley and his brother are the most likely suspects. Unfortunately, we'll never know for sure. But that doesn't mean Daisy has been forgotten. Over 60 years later, she's seen as a woman who was ahead of her time. After surviving an abusive marriage at just 14 years old, Daisy was determined to live life on her own terms. She was a great mother and a dedicated employee at a time when women had significantly less power in the workplace. Before she was 30, Daisy had already lived through the Great Depression and World War II. But friends and family remembered her as someone who saw the good in everyone. She was a free spirit before it was fashionable. Someone who stood strong no matter what the universe threw at her. One thing we can all agree on is that women like Daisy Zick deserve better. By remembering her story, we're reminded that it's up to all, all of us to build a world where that's possible. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Carter Roy, and this is True Crime Stories. Come back next week for the story of 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 Benidon, Natalie Pertzofsky, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Tara Wells, Beth Johnson, and Russell Nash. Of the many sources we used, we found Murder in Battle Creek, the Mysterious Death of Daisy Zick by Blaine Lee Pardo, esp. Especially helpful to our research. Thank you for joining us and Doug Limu and I always tell you to customize your car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual, but now we want you to feel it. Cue the emu music.

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We save. That may have been too much feeling. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. Affiliates excludes Massachusetts crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season, starting with the crimes that inspired Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. Follow Crimes of wherever you get your podcast or find them on YouTube at Crime House Studios. New episodes out every Tuesday.