Murder: True Crime Stories
Episode Summary: UNSOLVED: The Senator’s Daughter, Part 2
Podcast: Murder: True Crime Stories
Host: Carter Roy
Release Date: August 28, 2025
Brief Overview
This episode dives deep into the relentless, twisting investigation into the 1966 murder of Valerie Percy, daughter of prominent Illinois politician Charles Percy. Despite decades of police work, sensational confessions, rumor-fueled reporting, and a cast of potential suspects, justice remains elusive. Host Carter Roy details how the case evolved, the evidence (and missteps) involved, and the ongoing impact of the loss and the unanswered questions that linger to this day.
Main Themes & Purposes
- Chronicling the evolution and setbacks of a high-profile, unsolved murder investigation.
- Humanizing the victims and those left behind amid a media storm and failed leads.
- Exploring how family, law enforcement, and the public grapple with lack of resolution for decades.
- Highlighting the tangled web of suspects in a case where, at times, there were too many confessions, not too few.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Aftermath of Valerie’s Murder and Initial Evidence
[06:08]
- Valerie Percy, 21, was murdered in her Kenilworth, Illinois, home while her father was a candidate for U.S. Senate.
- Publicity around the crime outshone Charles Percy’s campaign, but he ultimately won just two months later.
- The family relocated to Washington, D.C.—but the investigation stayed local.
- Evidence collected included: a fingerprint on broken glass, bloody palm prints, hair/fibers, and footprints leading to Lake Michigan.
- Lack of DNA technology: “Without a suspect to compare the information against, a lot of that evidence meant nothing.” (Carter Roy, 07:17)
- Over 1,300 credible tips and 14,000 people questioned, creating confusion rather than clarity.
2. The Freddy Malchow & Jimmy Evans Confession
[08:40]
- Freddy Malchow, a seasoned burglar, becomes the central suspect after his cellmate, Jimmy Evans, reports a jailhouse confession in 1974—eight years after the murder.
- Jimmy claims Freddy confessed to a botched robbery and details about the bloody aftermath, including a pair of pants he’d stashed.
- Motivation for false confessions was high, as Charles Percy offered a $50,000 reward (nearly half a million today).
- Jimmy passes a polygraph, but, crucially: “Freddy Malchow wouldn’t be speaking to anyone because he was already dead.” (Carter Roy, 11:46)
3. Untangling Malchow’s Story
[13:07]
- Freddy and Jimmy’s post-arrest escape led to Freddy’s accidental death—falling from a bridge while fleeing police.
- Detective Robert Lamb, the case’s head, finds Malchow a plausible suspect: he was a professional burglar, confirmed to be in Chicago, and the method used to break in matched his style (“scored an X into the glass—then smashed it”—15:07).
- Police find the bloody pants in question but, due to limitations in forensic technology, fail to analyze their relevance: “Investigators couldn’t even tell whether the blood was human or animal.” (16:20)
- The case grows cold again.
4. The Hohmeier Brothers & Mob Theories
[17:40]
- In 1973, reporters Arthur Patak and Hugh Huff investigate after a tip from Harold Hohmeier, whose brother Frank—a burglar with potential mob ties—was alleged to have confessed after the murder.
- Frank denies any role and points to others: first, “Billy Jackson,” then circles back to implicating Freddy Malchow after a dramatic jailhouse confrontation staged by journalists.
- Frank’s claims (and conflicting stories) sow further confusion, but still don’t yield hard evidence; “For Detective Robert Lamb, this was confirmation that he’d been right all along...But with Freddy dead, there wasn’t much more Lamb could do.” (21:34)
- Despite sensational coverage and a Pulitzer-winning investigation, no charges stick; Frank dies in 2005, never charged.
5. Persistent Uncertainty and Family Doubt
[22:54]
- Malchow’s own brother, Daniel, offers a nuanced view: confirms Freddy’s criminal abilities and acknowledges his capacity for violence, but remains uncertain about his involvement.
- Carter Roy points out authorities never compared Malchow’s prints to those at the crime scene, leaving a crucial question unsettled.
6. A New Theory: William Thorson III
[26:17]
- In 2013, local author Glenn Wall self-publishes “Sympathy Vote,” focusing suspicion on William Thorson III, another Kenilworth local with a violent and unstable history.
- Thorson lived near the Percys, had a violent past, and, after failing at an attempted murder-suicide, died at the hands of his wife Louise—who testified to years of abuse and recounted multiple confessed murders.
- A possible link: a WWII bayonet matching one found near the Percy home, and attempts by Louise to ship similar weapons to William.
- FBI records reveal Thorson was a legitimate suspect as early as 1970, but this information was never shared with Illinois authorities.
- Kenilworth Police now openly acknowledge Thorson was “never cleared.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the overwhelming volume of leads:
“Sometimes detectives are faced with the opposite problem. Too many leads, too many suspects, even too many confessions.”
— Carter Roy [00:55] -
On the impact of sympathy after tragedy:
“Some said it was sympathy or pity that carried him over the finish line. If it was, Charles never acknowledged it.”
— Carter Roy [06:40] -
Polygraph hope, immediately dashed:
“He passed. For the first time in a long time, there was a flicker of hope.... There was just one very big problem—Freddy Malchow wouldn’t be speaking to anyone because he was already dead.”
— Carter Roy [11:40] -
On the frustrating state of evidence:
“Investigators couldn’t even tell whether the blood was human or animal. Just like that, the momentum faded.”
— Carter Roy [16:22] -
On the media’s role in myth-making:
“He was a theatrical criminal himself, a self-styled outlaw with a flair for storytelling and a hunger for recognition... If anyone was going to brag about a high profile crime just to beef up his own legend, it was Frank.”
— Carter Roy [19:38] -
On the lost potential for resolution:
“With Freddy dead, there wasn’t much more Lamb could do. He couldn’t definitively tie him to the crime. And without physical evidence or a living suspect to interrogate, the case hit that same dead end.”
— Carter Roy [21:34] -
On William Thorson III’s possible involvement:
“There was also evidence that might potentially implicate him in the crime. Just days after Valerie was murdered, scuba divers had found a World War II bayonet in Lake Michigan, not far from the Percy’s home... For Glenn Wall, this was the smoking gun he’d been looking for.”
— Carter Roy [27:30]
Detailed Timeline / Timestamps for Major Segments
[06:08] – Recap: Valerie Percy’s murder, the immediate aftermath, evidence gathered
[08:40] – Interview with/profiles of criminal suspects; Malchow’s connection to the case
[13:07] – The prison break, Malchow’s death, Detective Lamb’s investigation and missed forensic opportunities
[17:40] – The Hohmeier tip, media spectacle, Frank’s changing stories and Pulitzer-winning coverage
[22:54] – Family perspectives, failure to compare fingerprints, persistent questions
[26:17] – Introduction of William Thorson III theory, supporting evidence, modern police stance
[31:05-32:20] – Reflection on Valerie’s life, the impact on the Percy family, and the unresolved ending
Tone & Language
- Carter Roy guides listeners with a blend of professionalism and empathy, balancing journalistic integrity with a sense of loss and frustration.
- The tone is somber, contemplative, and respectful of both victims and those haunted by the lack of closure.
- Detailed but accessible language: clear, engaging, and evocative, occasionally weaving in reflection or rhetorical questions to deepen the intrigue.
Conclusion
Despite decades of detective work, media investigation, and civilian theorizing, Valerie Percy’s murder remains one of America’s most infamous unsolved crimes. Multiple plausible suspects emerged, only to be discounted or die before the evidence could be tested. Personal loss, failed justice, and uncertain truth continue to shadow all those touched by the case—most of all, the Percy family and the investigators still searching for answers after more than half a century.