245. The Piggyback Killer

Summary

Murder With My Husband - Episode 245: The Piggyback Killer

Release Date: December 2, 2024
Host/Author: OH NO MEDIA
Podcast Description: A true crime podcast that ventures into the darkest crimes with a wife who loves it and a husband who hates it.

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Overview

In Episode 245, titled "The Piggyback Killer," hosts Peyton and Garrett Moreland delve into the haunting case of Maria Riddolph, a seven-year-old girl who vanished in Sycamore, Illinois, in December 1957. The episode meticulously unravels the intricate details of the investigation, the suspect's troubled background, and the eventual conviction and exoneration that left the community and Maria's family in turmoil.

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The Disappearance of Maria Riddolph

The narrative begins on December 3, 1957, when Maria Riddolph, a seven-year-old girl from the small town of Sycamore, Illinois, goes missing after playing a game called "duck the cars" with her friend, Kathy. As Maria assists an adult man named Johnny with piggyback rides, Kathy remains behind, eventually leaving to warm up due to the falling snow. Upon Maria's return with her favorite doll, both girls disappear without a trace.

Peyton Moreland [05:56]: "Maria Ridolf went out to play one night and never came home again."

Frantic searches ensue, involving Maria's parents and the local community. Despite extensive efforts, no immediate clues surface, except for Maria's doll found in an alley, serving as Maria's only remains discovered five months later.

Garrett Moreland [05:59]: "I hate people."

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Investigation and Suspect: John Tessier

The investigation initially points towards John Tessier, an 18-year-old outcast with a military aspiration shattered by a tuberculosis diagnosis. John, known for his reclusive and peculiar behavior, becomes a person of interest due to his physical resemblance to Kathy's description of Johnny and his absence during the critical hours of Maria's disappearance.

Despite multiple interviews and a polygraph test in 1957, where John admits to past sexual activities with minors but denies involvement with Maria, authorities clear him as a suspect. The FBI's involvement adds complexity, yet leaves significant gaps in the timeline of John's whereabouts on the night Maria vanished.

Peyton Moreland [07:16]: "So, John being somewhere and then being somewhere else doesn't really matter because that time frame could still be there."

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Conviction and Subsequent Exoneration

For decades, the case remains cold until Janet Tessier, John's half-sister, uncovers troubling family secrets, including Eileen Tessier’s (their mother) admission of John's involvement in Maria's disappearance. Persisting despite systemic dismissals, Janet's relentless pursuit leads to the reopening of the case in 2008.

New detectives re-examine witness testimonies and uncover contradictions in John's alibi. A pivotal moment occurs in 2010 when Kathy positively identifies John Tessier as the man who abducted Maria from a photograph.

Peyton Moreland [42:24]: "So by now, John was going by Jack...he was still alive and still."

Eventually, in 2011, John Tessier is arrested and convicted of kidnapping and murdering Maria, bringing closure to a community haunted for over half a century. However, the triumph is short-lived as doubts about the legitimacy of the conviction emerge, leading to John's exoneration in 2016 based on previously dismissed evidence and witness inconsistencies.

Peyton Moreland [45:33]: "Only four years after this community thought the case was closed, it was open again."

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Perspectives and Ongoing Questions

The episode highlights the profound impact of John Tessier's actions beyond Maria's case, including his history of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior. Despite his exoneration regarding Maria's murder, his criminal activities remain undeniable, painting a complex portrait of a man who evaded justice for years.

Garrett Moreland [32:05]: "Don't go get help. Put him in prison. Let other people take care of the issue."

Janet Tessier's discovery of her mother's confession raises unsettling questions about family loyalty and the justice system's failures. The episode leaves listeners grappling with the ambiguity of truth and the lingering trauma experienced by Maria's family and the community.

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Conclusion

"The Piggyback Killer" serves as a compelling exploration of a cold case marred by missteps, familial deceit, and the elusive quest for justice. Peyton and Garrett Moreland skillfully navigate the complexities of Maria Riddolph's disappearance, presenting a narrative that underscores the enduring scars left by unresolved crimes.

Peyton Moreland [46:28]: "Maria Riddolph's case remains unsolved. Officially unsolved."

The episode concludes on a somber note, reflecting on the imperfections of the legal system and the haunting reality that some cases may never find true resolution.

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Notable Quotes:

• Peyton Moreland [07:16]: “So John being somewhere and then being somewhere else doesn’t really matter because that time frame could still be there.”

• Garrett Moreland [32:05]: "Don't go get help. Put him in prison. Let other people take care of the issue."

• Peyton Moreland [46:28]: "Maria Riddolph's case remains unsolved. Officially unsolved."

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Timestamps for Key Moments:

• [05:56]: Introduction to Maria Riddolph's disappearance.
• [07:16]: Description of the suspect, John Tessier.
• [42:24]: Identification and initial interrogation of John Tessier.
• [45:33]: Exoneration of John Tessier.
• [46:28]: Final remarks on the case's unresolved status.

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Final Thoughts

"The Piggyback Killer" is a poignant reminder of the lasting effects of unsolved crimes on individuals and communities. Through meticulous research and engaging storytelling, Peyton and Garrett Moreland shed light on a case that continues to evoke emotions and questions, embodying the essence of true crime exploration.

Transcript

[Peyton Moreland]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. Hey, Murder with My Husband Listeners, Etsy knows what kind of holiday gifting reactions you're looking for this year. You want squeals of delight, happy tears, and spontaneously written songs of joy, right? Well, to get a reaction like that, you need to make sure everyone on your list feels heard with handmade, handpicked and designed gifts from small shops on Etsy. I love Etsy. I think it is a great way to support small businesses while also getting one of a kind pieces all of their stuff. Honestly, just feels so custom and thought out. I definitely, definitely, definitely support Etsy.

[Garrett Moreland]

I have bought multiple things, customized things for in on Etsy. Honestly, I don't know. Every year I'm doing something on Etsy, especially around the holidays. Go check it out. I've done jewelry for her and I've also done candles. So my favorite things to get for her and to customize on there. We love Etsy.

[Peyton Moreland]

Etsy makes it so simple to find original items that will make whoever I'm shopping for feel extra special. Shop Etsy this holiday season for personalized jewelry, custom artwork, cozy style items, vintage pieces and home decor to celebrate all of your favorite people and their specific kind of special. For original gifts that say I get you, Etsy has it. You're listening to an Ono Media podcast. Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with my husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm Garrett Moreland.

[Peyton Moreland]

And he's the husband.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm the husband.

[Peyton Moreland]

Feels a little weird right now because normally we have a monitor on that, you know, you see us sometimes looking at, but right now we don't have it on. It's starting to feel like old Murder with my husband we would record without seeing ourselves.

[Garrett Moreland]

We just ate. I'm stuffed. I am stuffed. You know what I hate? Honestly? Is this my 10 seconds?

[Peyton Moreland]

Sure, go ahead.

[Garrett Moreland]

We didn't make an announcement. Holidays for those that are celebrating Thanksgiving, the holiday in the US of A. Hope everyone's having a good time with family and friends. If you do not have family and friends to celebrate with, then that is why we release this episode so you can celebrate with us while listening to some true crime and Garrett and Peyton and we love you. Okay, before we Keep going. I will point out that Peyton has a new jacket on, and when she puts her arms out, it looks like bat wings. Not gonna lie. It's really cool, and it makes her really happy.

[Peyton Moreland]

I said to Garrett, I said, want to see what I got? And. Because when my arms are down, it looks like just another black sweatshirt. And he's like, ooh, another black sweatshirt. Exactly what you need. I was like, no, just wait for it.

[Garrett Moreland]

She put her arms out, started flying away, and I was like, holy crap. Anyways, put your arms out, baby. Let me see. We'll put a picture on Instagram or something, because it's really cute. Anyways. I don't know. I don't have a tone for my 10 seconds. I feel like. Especially because we are recording a little bit more ahead than normal, so I haven't been able to live out my full week of Garrett's 10 seconds. We saved some food. We're back home. Food is really good. Something that I hate is I hate stuffing myself, but it's so hard not to when food's so good, you guys? Know what I'm saying? Like, there's food and there's stuffed, and I'm so stuffed right now, really?

[Peyton Moreland]

Oh, you ate your whole meal.

[Garrett Moreland]

You ate your whole meal. You freaking.

[Peyton Moreland]

That's not what I meant.

[Garrett Moreland]

No, I did. I scarfed it. I had these filet and shrimp enchiladas with this. I don't know what they put on top of it. Amazing sauce. And then I had probably, I don't know, six or seven gallons of chips, and then beans, butter cake. I was just. I was in my zone tonight, just eating away. It tasted amazing, and I'm so stuffed right now. But it was worth it. I just hate being stuffed. But sometimes you just have to stuff yourself. Sometimes you have to go, you know what? Food is amazing, and so am I. What a. What a blessing. That's what I got for you guys. Let's hop into today's case, and I hope everyone is having a wonderful day.

[Peyton Moreland]

Our sources for this episode include cbsnews.com cnn.com dailychronicle.com NBC.com the New York Times, the Pittsburgh Press, and the National Registry of Exonerations. A trigger warning before we get into the episode. Today's case includes discussions of violence and sexual assault against minors, so please listen with care. Okay? We obviously live in a world where we are bombarded with News 24 7. There is so much coming at us all the time, it can kind of be hard to keep track. But then there are moments, and hopefully they're rare, when something so shocking occurs that we remember it for the rest of our lives. Thinking 9, 11, the assassination of JFK. These are moments of collective trauma when a whole society realizes their world is never going to be the same. And sometimes this happens on a smaller scale. For the residents of the small town of Sycamore, Illinois, that moment came on December 3, 1957, when seven year old Maria Ridolf went out to play one night and never came home again.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay, I hate people. I hate people.

[Peyton Moreland]

I know seven years old.

[Garrett Moreland]

I hate people.

[Peyton Moreland]

Let's get into it. Sycamore, Illinois lies about 45 miles west of Chicago. And it had about 7,000 residents back in 1957. Honestly, it was a pretty idyllic place. Everyone knew everyone. Most residents didn't lock their doors. Again, it's 57, so most people weren't locking their doors. They honestly felt comfortable letting their kids go out and play, even at night. So it was not unusual when the night of December 3, 1957, Maria Riddolph asked her mother Frances if she could go out after dinner. The first snow of the year was falling and she wanted to play in it with her close friend Kathy from down the street. Now this wasn't like sometimes today mom will call mom and make a playdate for 7 year old. This was back when 7 year old would walk her little herself over all alone and knock on the door and say, hey, can Kathy play this? This is the type of play date we are having. So her mom says that's fine. And a few minutes later, the two girls meet out on the corner and they were actually playing a game they called duck the cars, which involved running across the street before a car's headlights could hit them.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, okay, headlights.

[Peyton Moreland]

So I mean, so it's around this time, as they're playing duck the cars, that a young blonde man approaches the two little girls. The man then told them his name was Johnny and asked if either of them wanted a piggyback ride. So Maria is like, heck yes. Adult Johnny.

[Garrett Moreland]

What the freak?

[Peyton Moreland]

I would like a piggyback ride. So Johnny carries her up and down the street. She was laughing the entire way. And when they get back, Maria decided she wanted to get her face favorite doll to join her on the next piggyback ride. Which is just like devastating.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

So she ran back to her house, leaving Kathy alone with Johnny because she's going to get her doll. And while Maria was gone, Johnny asked Kathy if she wanted a piggyback ride, but Kathy said no. So they just sat there and waited for her friend to return. So by now the snow was starting to fall and Kathy was actually getting cold. So when Maria got back a few minutes later, Kathy looked at her and said, hey, now that you're back from your house, I'm gonna run home and go get my mittens because my hands are cold. She was like, can you come with me? And Maria said, no, I'll just stay here. So Kathy goes home alone and when.

[Garrett Moreland]

She comes back, I can't listen to this.

[Peyton Moreland]

When she comes back a few minutes later, Maria and the adult blonde Johnny man are gone. Okay, so Kathy kind of wanders around for a bit, a little bit outside. Remember it's getting dark and she's calling for Maria. And then she actually goes to the Ridolf's house and asks Maria's 11 year old brother Chuck for help. So she goes over and she's like, can you come help me look for your sister? Now Chuck knew this was not the first time that Maria had gone missing. She had also disappeared a year before while playing a game and turned up about an hour later. She was just out wandering. So Chuck, the 11 year old, isn't seriously worried. He's like, oh my gosh, she's done it again. But when an hour had passed and they still hadn't found her, he decides to finally go home and tell his parents, Francis and Mike, that his little sister Maria was playing with Kathy and went missing with an older man. So at about the same time, the Riddolphs actually get a call from Kathy's mother who told them Kathy had seen Maria with a man named Johnny that night. And then now apparently she's missing. So the parents learned from both parties that this is happening. And this is when the panic starts to set in. So Francis called the police to report their daughter missing and Mike organized a search party. And at around 8pm the search party went to a house a few blocks over that belonged to a man named Ralph Tessier. Now Ralph was the owner of the local hardware store and they wanted him to open the store so they could get some flashlights and lanterns. Now Ralph said he'd be right there. And then he and his wife Eileen got ready to go. They're going to go help search for this little girl. But before leaving, they did something unusual. They locked their front door and they also locked the back, making sure no one could get in the house. They do this because they do have younger kids. And now there's a kid that's missing. And so they're like we're going to leave the kids home alone. We want the doors locked so they can stay safe. Right. It's like this panic around. But I do need to mention that the hardware store owners did have older kids, and not all of their kids is home that night because one was not home. He was 18 years old, he had blonde hair, and his name was John.

[Garrett Moreland]

What?

[Peyton Moreland]

Yep. So John Tessier was born John Cherry in Belfast, Ireland, in the year 1939. And his mother, Eileen, whose maiden name was Mikola, was married to a man who served in the British military during World War II. Now, when John was just 3 years old, his father died in combat. And Eileen, who also served as one of the first female searchlight operators in the Royal Air Force, ended up falling for an American soldier named Ralph Tessier. Now, Ralph and eileen were married November 18, 1944. And when Ralph went back home to America, to Sycamore in 1946, where a case is taking place, he takes Eileen, their newborn daughter, and his now six year old stepson John with him. So this is why they have young kids.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yep.

[Peyton Moreland]

And older kid. So John Tessier, as we'll call him for the rest of the episode, landed in the rural Midwest in 1946. And by most accounts, honestly, he never really fit in there. He didn't connect with other kids while he was growing up in Sycamore. They didn't understand why he spent so much time marching around in camouflage pants waving a wooden sword. And it was because he was playing like he was in war. And these antics actually earned him the nickname Commando. And they actually labeled him a permanent outsider in like that came from a foreign land.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

But John doesn't really seem to care. He, according to people, was something of a dreamer who preferred to live in his own world. There was one thing about this world, however, that he really liked, and that was a particular American song he loved. When Johnny Comes Marching Home. Most of us has probably heard this is it.

[Garrett Moreland]

When the saints. When the saints. When the saints go marching. That's. That can't be it. That's got to be a different song.

[Peyton Moreland]

Okay, I just played the song a little bit for un as well as Git, Git. So John liked this song because, as he said, his name is also Johnny, but he also idolized soldiers. One of his earliest memories, in fact, is his birth father in uniform giving him a piggyback ride up the stairs. Now, John dreamed of being the celebrated soldier who came marching home, but wanting a hero's welcome doesn't make you A hero. And when John was just 15 years old, he proved that he was far from his idol when he got expelled for physically assaulting a teacher at school. Now, the details of this incident have been lost to time, but it must have been pretty extreme because he never actually goes back to school. He just kind of milled around town for a while, making a little money, painting signs. Basically, he bided his time in town. Now kicked out of school until he could enlist in the military. So right after his 18th birthday, November 28, 1957, John made an appointment with a military recruiter. They scheduled him a physical exam in Chicago on December 2, 1957. Now, on that day, Johnny marches in, right on time. But he soon encountered the first major setback of his adult life. Doctors found a spot on his lung due to a childhood infection of tuberculosis. So they tell him, hey, this disqualifies you from service. John is stunned. This is what he's wanted to do his whole life. So he argued with the recruiters until they agreed to let him come back the next day and take the exam again. He comes back, doctors are like, nah, bro, the spot is still there and he is still disqualified. So John left the Chicago office with his dream in ruins. And it was about 12pm on December 3, 1957. And back in Sycamore on this exact day, Maria Ridolf was looking forward to the end of the school day. Clouds were gathering, and again, the first snow of the year was about to fall.

[Garrett Moreland]

I mean, obviously pieces are starting to, you know, fall together and make sense. I just don't understand. I mean, I'm sure we'll get to motive. It's just confusing. I have been using Rocket Money for a few years now, and honestly, I love it. It is such a game changer. If you listen to this podcast, you know that Peyton and I talk about Rocket Money all the time. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that empowers you to save more, spend less, and take control of your financial life.

[Peyton Moreland]

The other day, I actually had a friend message me, a real life friend message me and say, hey, I know that you do ads for Rocket Money on murder with my husband, but do you actually use it? Because I'm looking for a finance app, and I was like, yeah, girl, we actually do use Rocket Money and it's amazing. You need to sign up now.

[Garrett Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

Rocket Money has over 5 million happy members and has saved its users over $1 billion across all of the app's features. So let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Give Rocket money today@rocket money.com husband that's rocket money.com husband rocket money.com husband this message is sponsored by Greenlight. As your kids get older, some things about parenting get easier. I know with my younger siblings I could actually reason with them once they learn to talk. They clean up after themselves now, sort of. Others don't like having that conversation about money. Greenlight is a debit card and money app made for families. Parents can send money to their kids and keep an eye on kids spending and saving while kids and teens build money confidence and lifelong financial literacy skills. I know that Garrett's family has used Greenlight before and honestly, it is so cool. They actually have a chores feature where you can set up one time or recurring chores organized to your family's needs and then you reward kids with an allowance for a job well done and then they learn how to manage money.

[Garrett Moreland]

Greenlight is, I mean, it's amazing. I think it's very good to teach your kids how to manage money, especially because it's not, it's not taught in schools. Right. As we get older, it's important to know how to manage our money, how to budget. Hey, I spent a lot of money here. I can't spend a lot of money there.

[Peyton Moreland]

Being an adult, honestly sometimes can be tricky. So it's better to learn early.

[Garrett Moreland]

Sign up for greenlight [e-mail] husband that's greenlight.com husband to try green light today. Greenlight.com husband so what happened next has.

[Peyton Moreland]

Been a matter of debate ever since. But there are a couple of pretty solid facts. Number one, John leaves. He's devastated because his dream of enlisting is crushed over basically. And he wound up in a town called Rockford. It was about 45 miles from Sycamore and 90 miles from Chicago that night. Now Sycamore is about halfway in between. He actually placed a collect call from Rockford to his parents house at 6:57pm and then between 7:15 and 7:30 he showed up to an Air Force recruitment office that had just closed for the evening. He banged on the door until recruiters answered and Begged them to take him. Despite the spot on his lung, John was so worked up when he spoke to the recruiters that they actually thought he was on drugs. But they didn't turn him down and said instead they said, hey, just come back in the morning. And this much of this night is verified, but the question remains, where was John that night before he got to Rockford that evening? There's a sliver of time from the time he left the office.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yep.

[Peyton Moreland]

And the time he shows up to another recruiter office where he's missing. And that happens to be the same time when Maria disappears.

[Garrett Moreland]

How did the police figure this out so fast? Like, it seems like they knew exactly where to go.

[Peyton Moreland]

Well, I'm telling you a little ahead because I already know the killer. So I'm giving you the timeline. Police haven't really discovered this yet.

[Garrett Moreland]

Got it.

[Peyton Moreland]

I'm just telling you after the fact.

[Garrett Moreland]

Because even, I mean, but they went to somebody's house, like right, his house.

[Peyton Moreland]

Right away they were asking that his parents are the owners of the local hardware store. And they said, hey, we need flashlights to search for her.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, understood.

[Peyton Moreland]

They don't actually know that he's involved or has anything to do with it. Yes. Maria's parents in the search party are going to his parents and saying, hey, can you lend us some stuff to search?

[Garrett Moreland]

So it's all going to intertwine with each other.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yes. And I'm just going to be honest right now. I just told you that there's a chunk of time missing in his story. And that question would actually go on to be debated for the next 55 years. So this case is not 2012, not getting solved right away.

[Garrett Moreland]

Get out of here.

[Peyton Moreland]

So by 8pm, 55 years. By 8pm on the night of December 3rd, all of Sycamore was searching for Maria. Police had set up roadblocks. They searched train cars, truck cabs, the bus station. They scoured buildings and houses, fields and woods. No one found any sign of her. However, one searcher did find her doll in the alley behind Maria's house. And if you remember, she went to get that doll before her friend Kathy left and she was alone with Johnny. So they also had a description of the kidnapper because of Kathy. Kathy had told police the man that her friend was last seen with was blonde and went by the name Johnny. So naturally, they zeroed in on suspects who fit that description. So as early as the next day, word had gotten around that 18 year old Johnny Tessier, this outcast in the community, was blonde and his name was John and he went by Johnny. So police actually spoke to his mother Eileen on December 4th, the next day. And they say, hey, we're talking to anyone who's blonde and fits this description. We know your son. Where was he last night? And Eileen was like, he was home. This is obviously a lie because he wasn't home because he was going around to those offices. Her other kids had been there, but John hadn't been there. In fact, his half siblings didn't see him all that night or the following day. Some of Eileen's daughters actually overheard their mother talking to police and they knew she was lying and they actually tried to tell police, hey, like we need to talk to you. But the, the cops don't even give them a chance. They never end up talking to the other kids. They just took Eileen's word for it that her 18 year old son had an alibi and they moved on to the next blonde.

[Garrett Moreland]

Crazy. So, oh, it's gonna be crazier if she knows about it and it's just like up, sorry, right. Her own kid to her other own kid.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah, yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

Ironic.

[Peyton Moreland]

This might not have been a result of negligence so much as a loss of jurisdiction. Because that same day, December 4, 1957, the FBI moved in on the investigation. 29 federal agents showed up overnight and took over the investigation. And they asked police for a list of suspects. And in a town where everybody knew everybody, the cops had their own ideas about who might have done this. So they give the FBI a list of known sexual deviants in the area. This included homosexuals because it's 1957.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

It also included Peeping Toms, child molesters. Some of them were only known by nicknames. So there's a lot of people on this list. But a few days later, they actually get a tip from an anonymous person telling them to check out John Tressner in the neighborhood for the case. So the feds look into it and they found that John Treshner doesn't exist. But they do find John Tessier, who fits Kathy's description of the kidnapper. So the FBI now are Also on to 18 year old John in a completely different way.

[Garrett Moreland]

I don't understand how he doesn't get caught either way.

[Peyton Moreland]

They ask John if he can come in and take a polygraph test, and John agrees. So two days later, on December 10, John was wired up and questioned. And during the interview, agents asked John if he had ever had sex with children. And he said yes, sort of.

[Garrett Moreland]

Wait, what?

[Peyton Moreland]

He said that he had engaged in, quote, unquote sex play with a younger girl in the past. But that was years ago, and he's 18 now, and he's outgrown it.

[Garrett Moreland]

What is. This is insane.

[Peyton Moreland]

He also lets them know, listen, I didn't even know Maria. I really only met her once four years ago. He'd helped her cross the street. They kind of lived in the same neighborhood. And he's like, I've never spoke to her again. I was enlisting in the military that night. And the polygraph showed he was telling the truth. So between the test and his alibi, the FBI are like, hey, he's cleared. Once again, he's cleared. Just like the local police, they move on. And the next day, December 11, 1957, John left home to actually join the Air Force. So he was thrilled to be moving on. And as Christmas approached, Maria's family wrapped gifts for her and put them under the tree, gifts they had already bought, but Maria was not home to open them. The holidays came and went, and with the dawn of the new year, it seemed like there was little to hope for. Months went by, no new leads, and then the trail goes completely cold. Until one day in April 1958, in a wooded area 200 miles north of Sycamore, two hikers found a body.

[Garrett Moreland]

I always. I think about this quite a bit. For some of the cases we do where bodies have never been found, they gotta be somewhere. Crazy how just years later, like, hiking trails come up or more. Houses are built, civilizations growing, lakes begin.

[Peyton Moreland]

To drain, and all of a sudden.

[Garrett Moreland]

Bodies are just found.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

That have been there for decades.

[Peyton Moreland]

Right. The remains they found that morning, April 28, 1958, were half buried under a fallen tree. Again, this was 200 miles away from Sycamore. They were so decomposed that they weren't obviously human. But the hikers were concerned enough to contact the local police, and a coroner soon determined that the remains were human and belonged to a little girl. Now, dots are connected, and Maria's parents, Mike and Frances, were shown a scrap of clothing that was found on the body, and they identified it as the shirt that Maria was last seen wearing. So soon the body's ID was confirmed through dental records, and it was the Riddolph's worst fear. It was Maria. So now, even though they knew that Maria was dead, they were. There was still a lot of unanswered questions. How did her body get 200 miles away from home? Who had brought her there? How did she die? Sadly, investigators failed to provide any answers. They didn't take photos at the crime scene.

[Garrett Moreland]

What?

[Peyton Moreland]

Nor did they determine an exact cause of death. The autopsy just said suspected foul play.

[Garrett Moreland]

Because they were just over the case.

[Peyton Moreland]

I don't know if it's because they just didn't have enough information or they didn't even know if the bones were human at the time. And if this wasn't upsetting enough, the FBI had bowed out of the investigation at this point. Since Maria's body had been found within the state, the case no longer fell under their jurisdiction. So they turned it back over to the Illinois State Police, who after two years of going over the same leads or lack thereof, moved it into cold cases once again. So by the time Maria's body had been found, John was starting his new life. He served several years in the Air Force and then transferred to the Army. Presumably that spot on his lung wasn't such a big deal when the US finally needed soldiers for Vietnam. So John went on to fight in the Vietnam War. He was awarded three Bronze stars for exceptional bravery in a combat zone. He was honorably discharged. He got married. He had two kids. He then attended law enforcement academy in King County, Washington. And by the time he graduated in 1974 at the age of 35, John was basically the hero he always wanted to be. But to those who knew him, there were signs that he was not the noble soldier he pretended to be on the outside. John's first marriage ended when he cheated on his wife. Once he became a police officer, he used his badge to pick up multiple women. For example, he once arrested a woman for drunk driving and then talked her into moving in with him. He also arrested a sex worker and then took her to a holiday party like after he arrested her. And after several incidents like this, John was reprimanded by the chief of police in Milton, Washington.

[Garrett Moreland]

Say wait.

[Peyton Moreland]

But he continued to work for the Milton Police Department until the early 80s when his behavior went from questionable to criminal. In 1981, 42 year old John, who was still a police officer, invited 15 year old runaway Michelle Wyman to move in with him. So he comes across her as a cop, she's a runaway. And he's like, why don't you just live with me? You have nowhere to live. So he poses as. So he's always been a pedophile girl's heroic protector. He buys her clothes, he teaches her how to put makeup on. He makes sure she goes to school. But then one night, after she'd been staying with him for just a few weeks, Michelle woke up on the hide a bed in John's living room to find him performing oral sex on her. She's 15.

[Garrett Moreland]

Holy sh.

[Peyton Moreland]

He's 42.

[Garrett Moreland]

Shoot, dude, lots of words.

[Peyton Moreland]

She was so scared, she just froze. But the next day, she told a friend what had happened to her. And the friend told a school counselor. And the counselor alerted police in another town. And this led to an investigation in which John was eventually charged with statutory rape. Now, remember, 25 years earlier, John had admitted to the FBI, right. Right after Maria went missing, that he had engaged in sexual activity with children. But apparently no one now in Washington knew about this confession, knew that he had been somewhat of a suspect back then.

[Garrett Moreland]

This is wild.

[Peyton Moreland]

So John was actually allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

[Garrett Moreland]

Wait.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yes.

[Garrett Moreland]

How does it even happen? How do you go from.

[Peyton Moreland]

Honestly, I don't even need a history.

[Garrett Moreland]

A kid to commute. Communicating with a child.

[Peyton Moreland]

He wasn't fired from the police department. He was asked to resign. Which meant he was free to keep on reinventing himself. So he leaves the police department, he starts pursuing a business in photography. He begins taking photos of children. Young aspiring models. And then in 1983, he marries one of them. A woman named Denise Trexler. Denise was coming out of an abusive relationship. He pretended to be her hero once again. But after they married, he became emotionally abusive and controlling. He didn't just buy Denise clothes, He was telling her what to wear. He didn't just teach her how to put on makeup. He made her do it a certain way. And Denise stayed with him. And during that time, she witnessed at least two things that would haunt her for years to come. One happened on a day when John's daughter from his first marriage came to visit. She was only 12 years old.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, no.

[Peyton Moreland]

And Denise found John with her one morning in the kitchen. And he was holding a banana and.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The second incident was even more disturbing. One day, Denise was looking for something in John's desk, and she felt a draw drawer catching, so she lifted it up, and she found something taped to the bottom of his drawer in his office. And it was a photo John had taken of his daughter. She was naked. His 12 year old daughter.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, my.

[Peyton Moreland]

Child pornography of his own child.

[Garrett Moreland]

This is. So he's just a straight up. I mean, he's a pervert. He's a pedophile, like.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yes. So Denise and John break up in 1989. And unfortunately, she didn't report any of these things for years to come.

[Garrett Moreland]

There better not be any pedophi Listening to this podcast to turn it off right now.

[Peyton Moreland]

Go get help. Sheesh.

[Garrett Moreland]

Don't go get help. Put him in prison. Let other people take care of the issue. And bada bing, bada boom.

[Peyton Moreland]

So John keeps moving. His photography business never made enough to actually pay the bills. So in the early 90s, John got a job driving for a limo company in Seattle. And he hooks up with the owner's daughter, Sue. And then in 1993, he proposes. Sue accepts. But before they get married, John made an interesting move. He told sue he wanted to change his name from John Tessier to John McCollough. Now, if you remember, that's his mother's maiden name. He said he wanted to honor his mother. And maybe that's true. But it's also possible that John had an ulterior motive. By now, he was 54 years old. He was getting ready to settle down. Maybe he wanted to put some distance between himself and his sordid past. If so, John was about to be disappointed. Because while he was getting ready to start another new life in Seattle, back in Sycamore, his mom Eileen's life was coming to an end. And she was about to blow the past on her son's life wide open. But also, remember when you were like, if she knew this whole time and.

[Garrett Moreland]

Then, oh, she knew the entire time, didn't she?

[Peyton Moreland]

Oh, yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

And it finally caught up to her. And she's dying and she's thinking, I'll say something. Now I gotta tell the truth. Which, you know what? Screw you. I'm sorry. I don't feel bad. Like, that's ridiculous.

[Peyton Moreland]

You guys, we are getting into an ad and I need you to think about businesses with mind blowing sales like Death wish coffee or Selena Gomez's rare beauty. Sure, epic products and fire marketing come to mind. But the real game changer, it's the behind the scenes magic that makes shopping a breeze for tons of businesses. That magic is Shopify.

[Garrett Moreland]

Peyton and I are big advocates for Shopify. It is easy to use. It is intuitive. If you are selling online at all, use Shopify. I've been using it for what, seven years now, babe. Yes, it's insane. Like, I love Shopify. I'm a big advocate for them. I will always have anyone choose them over anybody else. Go check Shopify out. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Home of the number one checkout on the planet.

[Peyton Moreland]

And you know why? It's the not so secret, secret shop pay, shop pay will be the death of me. But also, it boosts conversions up to 50%. Meaning way less carts going abandoned and way more sales going.

[Garrett Moreland]

Upgrade your business and get the same checkout, rare beauty uses and us. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com husband all lowercase Go to shopify.com husband to upgrade your selling today. Shopify.com husband all lowercase thank you. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. How do you stay cozy during the winter months? For some Wrapping up in a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate or watching a movie with family is the best way to spend the month of December. Therapy is a great way to bring yourself some comfort that never goes away, even when the season changes.

[Peyton Moreland]

I'm going to be honest, holidays can be hard for a lot of people and I am one of them. I don't love the holidays. It is a perfect time to get into therapy if you've been thinking about it because it just really can have some holiday gloom. 100 if you're thinking of starting therapy, give Better Help a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist and switch therapist at any time for no additional charge.

[Garrett Moreland]

Find comfort this December with better help. Visit betterhelp.comhusband today to get 10% off your first month. That's better help.

[Peyton Moreland]

Hp.comhusband so since Maria Ridf's disappearance in 1957, Ralph and Eileen Tessier had remained in Sycamore, but their children had mostly gone their separate ways. One who remained in her parents orbit, however, was their daughter Janet. Now Janet had only been a year older than Maria when Maria disappeared, but she felt like she lived her whole life under the shadow of that kidnapping, of that trauma. She grew up with a kind of constant low grade fear, and that anxiety extended to relationships with her family. It wasn't just her family. She felt like her DNA was screwed up. She would tell people, I just break everything I touched. Now, despite this black sheep status, or maybe because of it, when Janet's mother, Eileen got cancer in the early 90s, Janet became one of her caretakers. So one day in late 1993, Janet was staying with her mother when all of a sudden Eileen, her mother, is calling her name. And Janet rushes to her mother's bedside and she was concerned by the urgency in Eileen's voice. She suddenly felt her mom's hand clamped down on her wrist and Eileen pulled Janet close. She said, those two little girls and the one that disappeared, John did it, John did it. And you have to tell Someone. What the freak? Now, Janet is shocked because right away, she knows that her mom is talking about Maria Riddolph. And you have to imagine it's her daughter there, too. I became terrified of being kidnapped when I heard about Elizabeth Smart, who lived an entire state away from me. Imagine a girl you knew who was just a year younger than you, who lived in your neighborhood, goes missing. Oh, yeah, she's terrified by this. And now her mom is telling her that, hey, all these years, you've lived in terror and worried about this girl. It was your brother.

[Garrett Moreland]

I don't know, whatever you want to call it, right?

[Peyton Moreland]

She was so rattled by Eileen's tone that she didn't even know how to respond. She just told her mom, okay, don't worry. I'll take care of it. And then Eileen fell back against the pillow. And it looked like to Janet, a huge burden had just been lifted off her mother. A few weeks later, on January 23, 1994, she passes away. And Janet's like, okay, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go to police and tell them what my mom said. She knew beyond a doubt that her mother was telling the truth Again. She thinks her family's messed up.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

She wanted to fulfill her promise by convincing officials to reopen the case and look into her brother. Now, that turned out to be a lot more difficult than Janet imagined. She started by calling the Sycamore police, telling them, I have a lead in this murder. Kidnapping, and Sycamore PD give her the run around. So she tries calling the FBI in Chicago, and they're like, no, you need to call Sycamore. So she tries Sycamore again, and literally no one will listen to her. For years, nothing happens. And then one day in October 1997, a detective named Patrick Solar, who'd recently graduated from the FBI Academy, announces to the media that he had solved this case using an FBI offender database. Patrick had connected Maria's murder to a string of similar crimes committed by a transient truck driver in the 50s. This truck driver apparently resembled Kathy's description of Johnny from that day. And he's dead now, so there's no trial, no further investigation. Case closed. This is Janet's like, no, there's absolutely no way. This case is closed for years. She's like, how did I have this wrong? How did my mom have this wrong?

[Garrett Moreland]

No.

[Peyton Moreland]

And so Janet also remembers, hey, me and my siblings clearly remember my mother lying to police that night. And we thought it was strange, and we were gonna tell them, but then we never got A chance to talk to them. And we were just like, okay. So finally, in 2007, half a century after Maria's disappearance, Janet met a true crime author who'd written a book about a cold case. She couldn't help asking, hey, how do you go about reopening a case? And the author's like, listen, you just need to find the right investigator who's ready to look into this and they'll reopen it. Yes, someone who wouldn't give up. So after all her years of effort, Janet wasn't sure that person existed in Sycamore. But she decided to give it a try. So in September 2008, Janet sent an email to the Illinois State Police. And it said, Sycamore, Illinois. December 1957. A seven year old child named Maria Ridolf vanished. Her remains were found in another county several miles away. I still believe that John Samuel Tessier was and is responsible for her death. And this is the last time I'm going to mention it to anyone. So she's like, I'm done. I'm done trying. I'm going to send one last email and I'm going to relieve this weight. But this time it worked. A commander in the Illinois State Police called her after reading her email and he's like, hey, I'm going to put one of my detectives on this. And she was like, okay, maybe this is a sign. Maybe I'm fulfilling my mother's dying wish. So after that conversation between Janet Tessier and the commander and the Illinois State Police, two new detectives were now assigned to the cold case. Their first step was to re interview witnesses. So they started with Janet and her siblings because if you remember in the case notes, it shows that they have talked to her brother twice. So they talk to Janet and her siblings and they find some eye opening information. They learned that all of the kids knew their mother had lied to police. And they also heard other disturbing tales, such as that John had actually sexually abused one of his sisters. Upon interviewing other witnesses, detectives also learned that there were contradictions in his timeline. Early reports estimated the time of disappearance at 7:00pm however, witnesses are like, no, it actually happened between 5:50 and 6:20. So John being somewhere and then being somewhere else doesn't really matter because that time frame could still be there. He could have kidnapped Maria at 6:15, killed her, and then got into Rockford by 7 to make that call. At home, detectives knew they were onto something, but they needed more. So In September of 2010, they tracked down Maria's old friend Kathy, which was probably Absolutely insane to her. And they show her a series of photos. They're like, hey, we've reopened the case. We have some photos from back in that time. Do any of these men look like the guy? She's now 61 years old. She looks at all the pictures, and she points to John Tessier and says, that's him. That's the guy who took her.

[Garrett Moreland]

Holy crap.

[Peyton Moreland]

So by now, John was going by Jack. He was 71 years old. He was living in Seattle with his wife Sue. He worked as a night watchman for an upscale retirement home. So one morning after his shift, the Illinois State Police detectives approached him, along with a couple colleagues from Seattle pd. They told John, hey, we need your assistance on a break in that has happened at a building that he worked. And John's like, okay. But when they get him to the police station, they're like, actually, we want to discuss this little girl who went missing years ago when you were just 18 years old. They conducted an eight hour interrogation during which John not only admitted to knowing Maria, but he actually, actually expressed like, this kind of connection. Yeah, he was like, she's lovely. She was so lovely. She looked like a little Barbie doll.

[Garrett Moreland]

What? That's so disgusting. He's so gross.

[Peyton Moreland]

Man never confesses.

[Garrett Moreland]

Get out of here.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah. To kidnapping or murdering her. But prosecutors who reviewed the tape were certain he was guilty. And on July 1, 2011, John was arrested and charged with kidnapping and murder. He was transported to Sycamore. The judge understood the gravity of the case, and he was like, listen, this is a trial that this community has wanted for 55 years. This was such a big deal. So he makes the rules clear up front. He says, hearsay, hearsay, evidence, inadmissible. So this meant FBI documents from the first investigation couldn't be used in trial because the agents who created them were dead. You had to have actual first person testimony. But this was actually a blow to the defense as it meant they couldn't use the report that stated John had been interviewed and cleared back then. So meanwhile, the prosecution had their own concerns. They had zero physical evidence, no DNA, no weapon. Even Maria's doll had been lost in evidence in the past 50 years. So this entire case hinged on a witness testimony, and that was Kathy, who was there when her friend was kidnapped. And luckily, he was found guilty. The people in this community finally had the answers they'd been seeking for over 50 years.

[Garrett Moreland]

Crazy.

[Peyton Moreland]

So after the conviction, John, who's now 73, was sentenced to life in prison. But his wife and stepdaughter continued to believe he was innocent. Oh, they were like, we've never seen him be abusive or show interest in young girls. And they believe he'd been given an unfair trial. And in 2015, his daughter succeeded in convincing State attorney Richard Schmack to review the case. Richard went back to the original FBI files, the ones that weren't admitted during trial. He disregarded witness statements indicating that Maria was abducted at an earlier time. And he's like, this time that they first were told was 7pm and if that's true, we know that John couldn't have done this because he was calling home. So he's like, John was wrongfully convicted. Richard sent John's case to a different judge who agreed with him. And on April, get out of here. 2016, that judge vacated the conviction and declared John innocent of Maria's murder.

[Garrett Moreland]

What the.

[Peyton Moreland]

So only four years after this community thought the case was closed, it was open again. And according to reporters, Maria's family showed little emotion after this verdict. Probably not a big surprise. They knew the world could be a terrible place. And as of this recording.

[Garrett Moreland]

Holy sh.

[Peyton Moreland]

John Tessier is still alive and still.

[Garrett Moreland]

Free and is still a pervert.

[Peyton Moreland]

And Maria, they're his.

[Garrett Moreland]

The family consuming. He is a pervert.

[Peyton Moreland]

I don't. That's not up for debate. There was a picture of his daughter naked to his dad.

[Garrett Moreland]

There's so many things that.

[Peyton Moreland]

And he raped a 15 year old girl.

[Garrett Moreland]

Insane.

[Peyton Moreland]

At 42 years old.

[Garrett Moreland]

And they're like, oh, I don't think he could have done it. Get out of here, man.

[Peyton Moreland]

He was literally charged for that.

[Garrett Moreland]

I mean, all of you, you suck.

[Peyton Moreland]

And Maria Riddle's case remains unsolved. I mean, like, it's officially unsolved.

[Garrett Moreland]

Officially unsolved.

[Peyton Moreland]

So allegedly, every single one of us.

[Garrett Moreland]

Listening to this know it is solved and justice has not been served.

[Peyton Moreland]

Not allegedly did John rape a 15 year old girl, but allegedly he murdered Maria back then.

[Garrett Moreland]

Insane.

[Peyton Moreland]

And that is the case of Maria Riddolph. Honestly, gross. I don't know. I mean, I guess we don't have all of the information because why do some people say the girls were playing at 5 and some people say they were playing at 7? I'm really confused on how that was.

[Garrett Moreland]

Even because it was 1957. No offense.

[Peyton Moreland]

Right? Just saying, either way, this man still is a pedophile. Yeah. So, I mean, it is a tough case though. I mean, is it just a case where there's not enough evidence? Do they have the wrong person?

[Garrett Moreland]

No.

[Peyton Moreland]

I mean, why did his mother lie to police and then tell the daughter that he did it. Why would she even have lied for him? The next day and Maria was found 200 miles away. So that didn't happen that night that she was dumped later, in my opinion, if it was drunk. All right, you guys, that is our case. And we will see you next time with another one.

[Garrett Moreland]

I love it and I hate it.

[Peyton Moreland]

Goodbye.