Very Special Episodes: The Death of Andy, the Sneaker-Wearing Goose

Summary

Noble Blood: Very Special Episodes – The Death of Andy, the Sneaker-Wearing Goose

Release Date: July 12, 2025
Host/Author: Dana Schwartz, Jessica Corgi, Zarin Burnett, and Jason English
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

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1. Introduction to the Mystery

The episode delves into the intriguing and heartwarming tale of Andy, a beloved sneaker-wearing goose from Hastings, Nebraska. The story begins on a brisk autumn day in October 1991, when a man metal detecting in Chautauqua Park stumbles upon the gruesome remains of Andy—plucked, skinned, and missing his head, yet still adorably sporting a pair of shoes on his legs.

Dana Schwartz [01:25]: "This was back in the day before, really. Everybody had cell phones and everybody used a phone book to get in touch with people."

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2. Gene Fleming and Andy's Unique Bond

Gene Fleming, Andy's owner, emerges as a multifaceted character—a World War II ship welder, inventor, and Shriner—whose life took a delightful turn upon meeting Andy. Born without webbed feet, Andy faced early challenges adapting to life among other geese. Gene's inventive spirit led him to create custom shoes for Andy, allowing the goose to walk and swim with modified footwear.

Dana Schwartz [08:38]: "I think if you were to hear it from his mouth, he had several ideas that ran through his mind, and several he said were a success, and some that were not, which included a skateboard theory, riding a bike type deal."

Gene's ingenuity didn't stop at shoes. He experimented with various modes to help Andy move, eventually settling on baby-sized patent leather shoes, which Andy donned with increasing comfort over time.

Jessica Corgi [09:02]: "The shoes, you know, needed a bit of modification to fit onto a goose the size of this goose."

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3. Andy's Rise to Local Fame

Andy's unique appearance quickly captured the hearts of the Hastings community. He became a local celebrity, especially among children with disabilities, who admired how Andy embraced life despite his physical limitations. Andy's charm extended beyond the local scene, earning him national and international attention after a local newspaper feature caught the eye of major media outlets.

Jessica Corgi [16:13]: "How did preteen Jessica feel about it? Well, Jessica wanted to be a famous singer one day and as such she hoped to see her name in the paper alongside Andy and her grandfather."

Gene and Andy made numerous public appearances, including a memorable appearance on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," where Andy showcased his impressive shoe collection.

Dana Schwartz [19:16]: "It’s just insta joy to see him. And that is like the mood that. It's just an instant mood that he would create."

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4. The Tragic Murder of Andy

Three decades after Andy's rise to fame, the community was shaken by the discovery of Andy's decapitated and skinned body near the town baseball diamond. The incident not only devastated Gene and his family but also left the tightly-knit community reeling.

Jessica Corgi [20:05]: "News outlets caught wind quickly."

The investigation revealed that Andy had been abducted and killed, but the case remained unsolved for years. The local Chamber of Commerce even established a $10,000 reward fund to uncover the perpetrator, marking a significant effort from the community to bring justice for their cherished goose.

Dana Schwartz [24:06]: "Those covered walkway ramps outfitted for animals, for chickens and whatnot… it would have had to have been somebody with special knowledge of where the goose was."

Despite extensive efforts, the identity of Andy's killer remained elusive, leaving the Flemings and the town of Hastings without closure.

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5. Jessica's Quest for Justice and Legacy

Years later, Jessica Corgi, Andy's great-granddaughter, driven by a desire to honor Andy's memory and resolve lingering questions, reopened the cold case. Her investigation included meticulous examination of old documents, fan mail, and even unconventional methods like consulting a fortune teller for insights.

Jessica Corgi [27:26]: "After about 20 years had gone by, Jessica put on her detective hat and reopened the case of Andy's murder."

Jessica's dedication led her to discover a missing letter from Gene Fleming to the bronze sculpture artist commissioned to memorialize Andy. This revelation connected her to the Hastings Chamber of Commerce, where she learned that the case had been quietly closed without public acknowledgment of the perpetrator, deemed "not responsible" by authorities.

Dana Schwartz [29:32]: "They found the killer."

Faced with this tangled web of secrecy and unspoken truths, Jessica chose not to publicize the killer's identity to prevent potential backlash against the community.

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6. Preserving Andy's Story

Beyond solving the mystery, Jessica has taken active steps to ensure Andy's legacy endures. She has transformed her experiences and memories into a one-woman show titled "Andy Interrupted," which combines storytelling with investigative elements to honor the goose's impact on her life and the community.

Jessica Corgi [32:13]: "Jessica has come, compiled all of her memories of Andy and armchair investigations into his murder into a one-woman show called Andy Interrupted."

Additionally, plans are underway to complete the unfinished bronze statue of Andy, a project that symbolizes the community's enduring love and respect for the goose who brought so much joy and inspiration.

Dana Schwartz [34:15]: "One thing that I would like to do that I think would be an honor for my grandpa is to finish this bronze statue."

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7. Conclusion: A Lasting Legacy of Kindness and Innovation

The episode wraps up by highlighting how Andy, through his unique charm and resilience, not only touched the lives of those around him but also inspired future generations to embrace kindness, adaptability, and the importance of community. Jessica's ongoing efforts to share Andy's story ensure that his legacy remains vibrant and influential.

Dana Schwartz [34:15]: "Hopefully people will then be inspired to ask, why is this cute little goose wearing high tops? And that message of kindness and invention will be brought back into the light."

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Key Takeaways

• Gene Fleming's Inventiveness: Gene's creation of custom shoes for Andy exemplifies human ingenuity and compassion towards animals with disabilities.

• Community Impact: Andy served as a beacon of joy and a symbol of overcoming adversity, fostering a sense of unity and inspiration within Hastings.

• Mystery and Legacy: The unsolved murder of Andy added a layer of intrigue to his story, driving future generations to seek closure and preserve his memory.

• Jessica's Dedication: Jessica's commitment to uncovering the truth and honoring Andy showcases the enduring bond between humans and animals, as well as the importance of storytelling in legacy preservation.

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Notable Quotes:

• Dana Schwartz [08:38]: "I think if you were to hear it from his mouth, he had several ideas that ran through his mind..."

• Jessica Corgi [32:13]: "Jessica has come, compiled all of her memories of Andy and armchair investigations into his murder into a one-woman show called Andy Interrupted."

• Dana Schwartz [34:15]: "Hopefully people will then be inspired to ask, why is this cute little goose wearing high tops?"

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This episode of "Very Special Episodes" masterfully intertwines humor, mystery, and heartfelt storytelling to celebrate the life of Andy, the sneaker-wearing goose, and the lasting impact he had on a small community. Through meticulous narrative and engaging dialogues, listeners are invited to reflect on themes of resilience, community spirit, and the profound connections between humans and animals.

Transcript

[Dana Schwartz]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[John Lithgow]

Hello, I'm John Lithgow.

[Jessica Corgi]

We choose to go to the moon.

[John Lithgow]

I want to tell you about my new fiction podcast.

[Dana Schwartz]

That's one small step for man, about.

[John Lithgow]

Buzz Aldrin, one of the true pioneers of space.

[Gene Fleming]

You're a great pilot, Buzz.

[John Lithgow]

That's the story you think you know. This is the story you don't. Buzz, starring me, John Lithgow, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast. You get your podcasts.

[Dana Schwartz]

This is an iheart original.

[Jessica Corgi]

Let's go back in time. No, not that far back. Let's go back to October 19, 1991, to the small town of Hastings, Nebraska.

[Dana Schwartz]

Think back to the future town with the clock tower and all that jazz, that vibe.

[Jessica Corgi]

The leaves were the color of apple juice and Kraft Macaroni and cheese. The weather was brisk. A man began a peaceful walk around Chautauqua Park, a nice green space with a pavilion, playground and picnic tables.

[Dana Schwartz]

He was over there. Metal detecting, I guess. I don't know why. Why would you? Metal detect by, I don't know, change falling out of pockets.

[Jessica Corgi]

Then, right near the baseball diamond, the man came across something unusual, something disturbing. A dead goose. Or at least what was left of a dead goose.

[Dana Schwartz]

It's been plucked clean or skinned, I guess. No head, no wings, but the legs were still on with a pair of shoes on.

[Jessica Corgi]

The man had a sinking feeling. You see, Hastings had a local celebrity, a sneaker wearing goose named Andy. It was hard to believe another sneaker wearing goose could have turned up dead in the park. The man in the park decided he would call Andy's owner, Gene Fleming, just to check in on the goose.

[Dana Schwartz]

This was back in the day before, really. Everybody had cell phones and everybody used a phone book to get in touch with people.

[Jessica Corgi]

So the man headed home, treasure hunting, put on pause and grabbed the phone book. He ran his finger down the page of Fs until he found Gene Fleming. He punched the buttons on his phone.

[Dana Schwartz]

Hiya there, Gene. Just wanted to call and check in. Is Andy okay?

[Jessica Corgi]

Was Andy okay? What a question. As far as Gene knew, Andy was safe and sound. Why wouldn't he be? Gene rushed to the enclosure where Andy and his mate Polly slept. Where there should have been. Two peaceful geese with their heads nuzzled close to their chests. There were just clumps of hay, bedding, and further off, two sets of footprints in the dirt. Not goose sized, human sized.

[Dana Schwartz]

So that's how they learned that Andy had been taken in the night.

[Jessica Corgi]

As improbable as it seemed, at the time Andy's death and life would still be reverberating around Hastings three decades later. Welcome back to Very Special Episodes, an I heart original podcast. I'm your host Dana Schwartz and this is Andy the sneaker wearing Goose.

[Jason English]

Welcome back to Very Special Episodes. I'm Jason English, joined as always by Dana Schwartz and Zarin Burnett. And I love a good, weird small town story. Dana or Zarin, is your hometown famous for anything super strange?

[Jessica Corgi]

No, I will say the one. It's not like an urban legend, but I'm from the Chicago suburbs that are very like John Hughes suburbs. So if you rem in the movie Ferris Bueller, his friend Cameron has like a really cool house that's like over a ravine where you remember like a car goes through the glass. That house is in my town.

[Gene Fleming]

What?

[Jason English]

That's pretty great.

[Gene Fleming]

Love that house. I've always loved that house.

[Jessica Corgi]

It's a cool house.

[Gene Fleming]

That's like the dream house. Oh my God.

[Jessica Corgi]

And I grew up in it. No, I didn't.

[Gene Fleming]

Did you used to drive past it? Like, is that like a local thing to do?

[Jessica Corgi]

No, it's not even like out of the way. It's like I would drive past it on my way to school.

[Gene Fleming]

Oh, that's dope, man. In my town, we had nothing as cool as that. But we did have a tunnel that was built under a road. And the tunnel was specifically built for toads. It was called Toad tunnel and it cost 14 grand. If you look online, there's all sorts of numbers, but it was actually 14 grand. Some people say 30 grand, whatever. But it made us, my town, hometown of Davis, into such a laughing stock. We were on the Daily Show. It was like a whole thing. Everybody I knew was laughing about it. Yes. Okay, so you remember.

[Jason English]

Yes.

[Gene Fleming]

Now there's even a children's book out of it. Like it really hit it's little minor zeitgeist.

[Jason English]

That's good. I'm glad you both had good answers. I struggled here. Denville, New Jersey, where I grew up, we didn't have any famous sneaker wearing animals. We did have a deer one time get into our elementary school and raised a ton of hell. But the deer was not celebrated. Didn't have an impression on the town quite like Andy the sneaker wearing goose.

[Jessica Corgi]

This is not a true crime story. It's a story about a life. And that life started in the spring of 1987.

[Dana Schwartz]

He hatched on a bright sunny day. I wasn't there for it, but rumors were it was an exceptional hatching.

[Jessica Corgi]

That's Jessica Corgi, she says there was something special about this goose.

[Dana Schwartz]

He hatched without webbed feet, born without.

[Jessica Corgi]

Webbed feet or without feet of any kind. His legs ended with little stumps.

[Dana Schwartz]

So he had a little bit of a challenge from the beginning. And he lived on the farm for two years and got around as best as he could in his own way. He wasn't built like other geese were. He had to adapt on his own to try to move in his goose society, as it were. It wasn't until this person that came out of nowhere helped him and improved his life. So one day, my grandpa had went out to the farm to pick up some ducks that he wanted to put on our pond out at our place. When he went out to pick up these ducks is when he had seen this guy goose trying to haphazardly cross this gravel road. And my grandpa's nature is he. He was an inventor and an entrepreneur. And at this time, he was retired and didn't have a lot to do. So he eventually gave in to his curiosity and desire to help the goose. And so this is where our story begins.

[Jessica Corgi]

Gene Fleming was a man who wore many hats. After welding on ships During World War II, he moved to Hastings, where he welded on hay feeders and moonlighted modeling clothes. After that, he became a cigarette salesman. Then he started tinkering and inventing livestock equipment. He got his big break when he invented the roll oil cattle oiler, a delightful name for a triangular contraption that applies parasite fighting oil onto cows. Gene was also a Shriner. That means he was part of a global fraternity based on fun, fellowship, and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. According to Jessica, Gene really focused on the fun pillar. He loved to soup up different cars and machines and for Shriners to ride on in local parades. By the time Andy came into Gene's life, he was in the twilight of his life. But his passion for inventing was as strong as ever. He got to work devising a way to help Andy walk.

[Dana Schwartz]

I think if you were to hear it from his mouth, he had several ideas that ran through his mind, and several he said were a success, and some that were not, which included a skateboard theory, riding a bike type deal.

[Jessica Corgi]

The most successful method was simply slipping a pair of shoes onto Andy's legs.

[Dana Schwartz]

The shoes, you know, needed a bit of modification to fit onto a goose the size of this goose. It was a big, big goose. And so he put some foam and additional things inside the shoe so they would fit a certain way. And he put a Pair of. I think that the first pair was a size 0 leather white patent leather baby shoe. So that's what he started with.

[Jessica Corgi]

Gene took Andy for a walk around the yard to get used to his new kicks. At first, Andy kicked backwards as if trying to flick some mud off his legs. But soon he was sauntering around without a pretty problem. Gene also drilled holes in Andy's shoes so he could swim as well as walk. In less than a month, Andy wore his baby shoes to shreds. But Gene, ever the tinkerer, just fixed him up a new pair.

[Dana Schwartz]

From there on, he tried. I saw the goose in many types of shoes. I saw him in cowboy boots and Converse at this time.

[Jessica Corgi]

At the time, Jessica was living with her grandfather, her grandmother Jean's wife Nadine, and her mom, dad and sister in a converted World War II Naval Ammunitions Depot building.

[Dana Schwartz]

My life was never ever normal from day one. But on this particular day, I had come home from a brutal day of junior high.

[Jessica Corgi]

This was the day Jessica was going to meet her grandfather's newest bride project, a goose wearing shoes.

[Dana Schwartz]

Yeah, I was having a bit of a tiff with my oldest friend Andrea. And I don't even know what we were fighting about because there's really. In junior high, the two things I was really interested in were boys and popularity. So it was probably one of one of those two things. But anyway, I was eating the pain away in our kitchen. And our kitchen was halfway underground. And so the window looking out was eye level, so I could see my grandpa outside with a red leash in the hand. But I could not see what was at the end of the leash because there were plants obscuring it. And so it was that time when I went outside in this garden. We called it the Japanese garden. And there he was with this adorable gray goose standing in white patent leather baby shoes.

[Jessica Corgi]

Her grandfather introduced her to the goose. He had gray feathers, save for a patch of white on his stomach, a bright orange beak, and glassy black eyes like a doll's. At this point, his name was rock and roll.

[Dana Schwartz]

Rock and roll was the way he got around, simply put.

[Jessica Corgi]

But Gene wanted to give him a new name, so he asked Jessica for some ideas.

[Dana Schwartz]

And I was thinking of my friend that I was mad at. And it just came easy. I said, how about we name him Andy? And it stuck.

[Jessica Corgi]

Once Andy got acclimated to his new environment and his new shoes, Gene cooked up a plot to acquire Andy's mate. He struck a deal with another member of the family. Two of Gene's Geese. For one female goose named Polly, it.

[Dana Schwartz]

Was kind of like, here, Billy, take these geese off my hands because they're mean to Andy. But he made it sound like more like, oh, I'm going to trade you in kind these two fine geese for, for this one goose. But I think they were just mean, mean to Andy. So he got rid of them. He was, he was very much so a salesman. That was part of his nature. He was born a salesman.

[Jessica Corgi]

Being the preteen that she was, Jessica wasn't too invested in her family's antics. As far as she was concerned, Andy was her grandfather's business, not hers. But she couldn't help but notice Andy's peaceful nature.

[Dana Schwartz]

So grandpa had this little work area with this work table. He would put Andy's chest on the table and this phone cutout that just kind of fit him snug as a bug. And his little legs would just dangle off the table. And grandpa would, would fuss around and, and take off shoes and put on different kinds of shoes. And the goose would just sit there and just chill out like he was enjoying it. He put him up on the table to walk and see if those shoes would work and if they didn't work all then back down onto his little foam pad where he would lay and take the shoes off. And so, yeah, you know, it was just, I don't know, his personality is what stands out the most with me overall. Like whether we were at the mall or he was just tooling around in our garden outside, he was just a chill, nice goose.

[Jessica Corgi]

Gene and Andy brought people out of their shells and brought out the best in the community. But amid all this attention, Andy also brought out the worst. That chill, nice goose soon caught the attention of locals. I mean, what would you do if you were running errands one day and saw a goose waddling around in infant sized tennis shoes? So it's no surprise that Andy said started to gain a group of admirers. Andy was particularly popular among children with disabilities who looked up to Andy and how he lived his life to the fullest despite the obstacles he was born with.

[Dana Schwartz]

Let's face it, everybody has ability, needs. And that's the legacy that Andy really, really championed was this notion of, I got dealt this stack of cards and by George, I'm going to make the most of what comes via that.

[Jessica Corgi]

Andy even got a write up in the press.

[Dana Schwartz]

The local paper did a little story on Andy and it was very cute and, you know, we were excited for him and yay, he got in the paper. I Learned a little something that might nod to the fact that it was my grandpa that potentially tipped off the paper. But what we didn't anticipate was the next day opening up a different paper and seeing a similar image of Andy and the story about grandpa and understanding, oh wow, this had hit the Associated Press. And not only did it go national from coast to coast, it went international. And by day three after the article, we're getting calls, letters are starting to come in and it was an immediate overnight, you know, rise to fame.

[Jessica Corgi]

How did preteen Jessyca feel about it? Well, Jessica wanted to be a famous singer one day and as such she hoped to see her name in the paper alongside Andy and her grandfathers.

[Dana Schwartz]

I thought there was going to be potentially a mention. There was not a mention. And so from that article on, I was a little bit tuned out. I was jealous, I suppose I was jealous. It was a little embarrassing. And I had to go to some of his appearances and be on goose poop patrol at the mall and other places.

[Jessica Corgi]

You heard her right, the mall. Andy the Goose had his own kiosk at the mall so locals could meet the famous fowl. One even became a member of the Andy fan club, complete with a certificate signed by Jean and Nadine.

[Dana Schwartz]

My grandma was ever much so the businesswoman. She had set up a gift shop area so they would have visit Andy days at different places and the mall was one of them. I would be there wishing I was at the other end of the mall at the arcade where the boys were. And it was horrifying for somebody my age to be, you know, he's this famous person with this goose and yeah, it's hard to play back up to that.

[Jessica Corgi]

Luckily for Jessica, Andy didn't ruin her social status too much. She soon moved an hour and a half away from Hastings. Meanwhile, Andy flew four hours away to Los Angeles. Andy and Jean were guests on the Tonight show with Johnny Carson billed alongside Isabella Rossellini and Martin Shorts. Gene told Andy's origin story and showed off Andy's shoe collection which included a pair with flippers attached to help him swim and another pair with metal spikes to help him walk over snow and ice. For the record, Martin Short came out with a roast goose, also wearing shoes.

[Dana Schwartz]

Because after he was on Carson, my 13 year old mind had exploded in embarrassment and I just did not want to be associated with that at all.

[Jessica Corgi]

Someone who did want to be associated with Andy, the associates at Nike, they sent him a hefty supply of sneakers. There was just something captivating About Andy.

[Dana Schwartz]

It'S just insta joy to see him. And that is like the mood that. It's just an instant mood that he would create. Whether you're just reading about him in a story, you see a picture of him. A goose with shoes is just innocent fun.

[Jessica Corgi]

Gene continued to parade Andy around town. The pair made appearances at libraries, schools, county fairs, and parades.

[Dana Schwartz]

He gladly would travel across the state and go to wherever the request came to have Andy visit People he was loved it. It kept him, like, incredibly connected with himself and his community and the world around him. Andy was the conduit to the last hurrah of a very, very interesting, intriguing, and dare I say, brilliant life. It was a match made in heaven pretty much. Until, you know, heaven came a little early for one of them.

[Jessica Corgi]

Which brings us back to the beginning, to that grisly scene in the park. After Andy's murder was confirmed, news spread through the family. Jessica learned about it via a phone call from her sister.

[Dana Schwartz]

And she was crying, and she told me about what had happened. And yeah, at that first moment, I thought, oh, my God, he finally snapped. Or the next thing was an animal got Andy and he panicked. And then the next thing I thought was, this shouldn't be funny. I shouldn't be laughing. It gave me a case of the giggles because the way she put it was that they found a leg with a shoe on it in chautauqua park. And I couldn't help but have like, this looney tunes vision of a drumstick with a shoe on it, you know, and this lush grass and taking this terrible thing that happened and reducing it to a fit of laughter was terrible on my part, but that is what happened.

[Jessica Corgi]

News outlets caught wind quickly.

[Dana Schwartz]

Beloved footless goose is slain.

[Jessica Corgi]

A murder most foul. He was found decapitated and skinned near the town baseball diamond.

[Dana Schwartz]

He was my favorite goose because he had no feet. Why'd they do it?

[Jessica Corgi]

It's frightening to think our community might be home to someone who would do such a horrible dead. Gene recovered Andy's body and buried him in the yard not far from where Jessica first met him. Four years before, a local granite company donated a headstone. There was no ceremony, but the Flemings received mountains of condolence cards in the mail and hundreds of phone messages. People wanted to pay their respects and recount their families favorite memories of Andy. This one goose had touched so many lives, his death sent shockwaves through town. Death doesn't make sense, especially not when brought about by murder. Especially not when the victim is completely innocent and especially not when the victim is a goose looking for some sort of rain reason, some information that could make this senseless act make sense. The people of Hastings quickly turned to pointing fingers at potential culprits. Even Jessica got caught up in the fervor.

[Dana Schwartz]

We had a company, family manufacturing company. So like, was it a worker that got mad or was it the big one at this time? So like in the 80s, well, early 90s, I guess, at this point, like cults, like everybody was going nutballs over cults. It was kind of all over the map of who could it be.

[Jessica Corgi]

Remember how Gene lived in a converted World War II naval ammunitions depot? Andy's enclosure was among the maze like structure, making it quite private. That to Jessica, was something of a clue.

[Dana Schwartz]

There was a south end and a north end and different levels. And in the sub basements, there were entryways into tunnels that snaked around the grounds out there. But then there was also these covered walkway ramps that spider legged off the side of the building. But anyway, one of these ramps, these covered ramps, they outfitted for animals, for chickens and whatnot. And so it was in one of these ramps that came off of a room we had in our building that we called the Spanish Room. But you entered in through the Spanish Room. And the goose was kept in this little room inside the ramp, and then the ramp extended beyond that room. It would have had to have been somebody with special knowledge of where the goose was.

[Jessica Corgi]

The investigation was, forgive me, a wild goose chase. The Hastings Chamber of Commerce and the community banded together to set up a Reward fund of $10,000 for information on Andy's death. An impressive feat on its own, but especially considering that the most they had previously been able to raise for a reward was $100. As for Gene, well, his beloved pet was gone. The bird he would travel around the country with was gone. The fluffy creature he'd hold in the crook of his arm, a downy storm cloud with Nikes dangling from orange legs. Gone. Gene channeled his grief into commissioning a boy bronze statue of Andy.

[Dana Schwartz]

He's a tough nut to crack because he was part of the silent generation. So for him to, you know, emote his own emotions from deep within, not gonna happen, okay? But I could see just in his demeanor. And this was even before Andy came in, there was a loss of light and in the eyes, you know, slowing down.

[Jessica Corgi]

Even before getting Andy, Jean's health had been failing. Unbeknownst to Jessica and her family, he had been in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease.

[Dana Schwartz]

I think Andy, for That time was a tether for my grandpa to reality. When Andy was killed, I think that essentially snapped whatever cord was keeping him here.

[Jessica Corgi]

Gene passed away on December 31, 1999. He never found out who kidnapped and killed Andy, but it turns out someone had already solved the mystery. For a long time, that was that. The world kept turning in Hastings. The mall where Jessica was put on goose poop duty closed. The little school on the edge of town that Jessica attended was literally put on the back of a truck and driven away, leaving just an empty lot behind. Hastings changed, and gradually the memory of Andy began to fade. But not for the people who knew him best. Jessica had always loved to write. So when she was a teen, her family encouraged her to write a story about Andy. She responded with her usual teenage enthusiasm.

[Dana Schwartz]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, I'll get to it someday. I'll get to it someday. Time goes by, and then all of a sudden, you're a person of a certain age, and you start thinking, oh, I don't have lots of time anymore. But all of this time for me has emotionally built me up to where I can handle telling the story. Now I can see it from a lens of. Outside of an emotional lens, I guess more from an adult perspective.

[Jessica Corgi]

After about 20 years had gone by, Jessica put on her detective hat and reopened the case of Andy's murder. She turned over every single stone and peered behind every lamp post in Hastings, looking for clues. She even reached out to a fortune teller to perform a seance, searching for answers beyond the veil. Luckily, her grandparents meticulously kept track of any potentially important piece of paper, and all of that paper ended up in Jessica's possession. She was poor, poring over fan mail, crime scene photos, and her grandmother's notebooks, when she noticed a letter she hadn't seen before.

[Dana Schwartz]

This letter was to a bronze sculpture artist that was in process of making this Andy sculpture. And the letter was from my grandpa. And my grandpa had said, when you finish, contact the chamber president for the money, because they had the reward fund. And while that letter never got to.

[Jessica Corgi]

The artist, the artist had asked Gene for some photos of Andy to finish part of his model. But since the letter never got back to the artist, he never got his photos, never finished the project, and never picked up the money.

[Dana Schwartz]

So I called the artist, and I found out that it's a project that just disappeared. It just vanished. And he was, you know, nearly done with it and had to change his policy. And so it stands out to him. And so then I'm like, oh, well, that's bad. Well, I wonder what happened to the money. So I. I called the Hastings Chamber to find out what happened to the reward fund.

[Jessica Corgi]

It had been a while since Andy disappeared. The person who answered the phone at the Chamber of Commerce had no idea.

[Dana Schwartz]

Where the money was and so directed me to several phone numbers, one of which was the Ex Prez that was in that returned letter.

[Jessica Corgi]

The ex president of the Chamber of Commerce, Eugene, had directed the bronze sculpture artist to contact for payment in the letter that never reached him.

[Dana Schwartz]

I called the Ex Prez and, yeah, almost immediately. Like, of course I sound like an idiot and stupid for what I'm asking him about, you know, this goose and murder and money. And he told me immediately that, well, the after they found who killed Andy, he was told, you know, essentially they needed to sit on the money until the statute of limitations ran out. And so at that time, I was floored, and I didn't know how to react or what to say. So essentially, I just ended the call going, they found the killer.

[Jessica Corgi]

It turns out the murder had been solved for ages. Only two years after Andy's death, the sheriff's department called the Chamber of Commerce and said they'd found out who did it, but they wouldn't release the name, and they didn't want a news release about it. The department said the perpetrator was someone deemed, quote, not responsible. That's a term usually used when someone is a minor, mentally disabled or otherwise not in control of their actions. Maybe they didn't want the news to get out because they knew how fervently the residents of Hastings cared for Andy the goose. If they knew, maybe they'd pick up torches and pitchforks searching for revenge. Jessica wasn't interested in any retribution like that. Knowing the name of the killer was important to Jessica for one reason. She got the closure her grandfather could never get. Does that mean that you already know?

[Dana Schwartz]

Um, yeah, of course I know. Oh, okay. And I'm guessing you don't want to share it right now. No, I'm not gonna share right now. Not gonna share right now.

[Jessica Corgi]

That's our producer, Sarah. She tried to probe Jessica for the name, but Jessica is sitting on it for now. She doesn't want to incite an angry mob. And besides, the real story here isn't Andy's death, but his wild and delightful life. Now Jessica is spreading that story far and wide. While young Jessica wanted nothing to do with Andy, adult Jessica feels called to ensure his legacy doesn't fade. She has several projects in the pipeline.

[Dana Schwartz]

Shall I count the ways. Let's do the documentary, let's do kids books, let's do, you know, cartoons. Let's do. Yeah, all sorts of things. So Andy, it's going to be Andy Overload in the future.

[Jessica Corgi]

Jessica has come, compiled all of her memories of Andy and armchair investigations into his murder into a one woman show called Andy Interrupted. By day, Jessica works as a park ranger, but at night, she's up on stage presenting evidence and entertaining audiences.

[Dana Schwartz]

It just happened and it was very natural. I had a great time. I feel like it is a show that is worth seeing, seeing. It's entertaining, it's history. It's true.

[Jessica Corgi]

It's been over 30 years since Andy was killed. Jessica never expected he would have such a grip on her life.

[Dana Schwartz]

I didn't realize my life path was crisscrossing his in such a way that it almost seems predestined that I'm stuck with Andy the ghost. But I'm finding joy in a place with. With this story that I never saw myself heading towards. And I could never thank my grandfather enough for that moment of kindness of him wanting to bring home a goose that needed help walking. You know, who would have known? It's like the butterfly effect. My grandpa was always, you know, afraid that people would forget about the legacy of Andy, you know, and the irony is, is that it was him. He was the one that forgot. And so that's another big push. Like, that hurts my heart so much. And sometimes I can really go to pieces when I'm talking about that.

[Jessica Corgi]

And yet, thanks to people like Jessica, people who cared about Andy, this goose's story will live on.

[Dana Schwartz]

One thing that I would like to do that I think would be an honor for my grandpa is to finish this bronze statue. The original artist that he had hired is still willing to make it if we can pull the funds together. And so that'll take time, but eventually we'll get there and get the statue made. And hopefully people will then be inspired to ask, why is this cute little goose wearing high tops? And that message of kindness and invention will be brought back into the light.

[Jason English]

All right, we're back. I don't know if this one needs to be a movie. We might just all need to go see Jessica's one woman show about this.

[Gene Fleming]

Totally.

[Jason English]

But Zarin, did you happen to cast this one anyway?

[Gene Fleming]

I did. Well, you know, I'm gonna love a story that starts with someone metal detecting and then find a goose who wears a pair of sneakers. So I was like, really into this story. So I tried casting Gene and his granddaughter in a way that would be kind of sweet and kind and make for a nice movie, even if it doesn't deserve one per se. So since Gene was from the Greatest Generation, I picked the actor Richard Farnsworth, who was the assistant coach from the Natural. He also wrote his tractor in that Oscar nominated movie, the Straight Story. I'm not sure if you remember this. It was, I believe, a David lynch film.

[Jessica Corgi]

Yeah, the one David lynch film that's like not weird.

[Gene Fleming]

Yes, exactly. So I thought that guy would be great as Gene. And then for Gene's granddaughter Jessica, I liked Aid Brad from snl. It seemed like she could be from Nebraska and could kill in that role where she and her grandpa tend to a goose who wears sneakers. So she just has like a sweetheart. And then also I did cast the Andy the goose goes on Johnny Carson bit. So I cast that as okay for the guest Martin Short that night, Dana Carvey. And as Johnny Carson, also Dana Carvey. So you got a special Dana Carvey interviews. Dana Carvey.

[Jessica Corgi]

Mike Myers did that sort of thing all the time.

[Gene Fleming]

Totally. That was actually kind of where I.

[Jessica Corgi]

Got the idea, yeah, let Dana Carvey have a chance.

[Gene Fleming]

Yeah, exactly. I was like, you know, Dana is really amazing and we all think to him, Mike Myers. But I was like, you know what? I think Dana Carvey gets this one. So yeah, I'm glad you had the same thought. Do you guys have any very special characters for this one? I mean, I picked Andy the goose, obviously. I mean, if you're gonna be a goose with no feet wearing baby sized Air Jordans every time I'm picking you.

[Jessica Corgi]

It'S only the goose for me. The goose is the star of this episode. There is no other character in this episode except the sneaker wearing goose.

[Jason English]

Yeah, really good call. Brief cameos from Isabella Rossellini and Martin Short. But they weren't on screen enough though. Bringing out a roast goose wearing sneakers is a killer bit. I thought about doing that for this episode, but I don't know how to roast a goose.

[Gene Fleming]

I also want to see Andy the Goose on Broadway. There was mention of like if it was a Broadway show picture, like, I don't know, Richard Kind as Grandpa Jean and like Kristin Chenoweth as Jessica and French Stewart as Andy the Goose.

[Jessica Corgi]

You know what?

[Dana Schwartz]

I'm in.

[Jason English]

I am in. I'm in. Very Special Episodes is made by some very special people. Very special thanks to Jessica for sharing her family's story with us. If you ever have a chance to check out her one woman show, Andy interrupted. You absolutely should. Today's episode was written by Sarah Schlie and edited by Carmen Borca Carillo from the Wonder Media Network. We've teamed up with Wonder on a few of these episodes. If you like this one, check out the Affair of the Diamond Necklace from Last May and be on the lookout for a couple more from Wonderful later this spring. Our show is hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zarin Burnett and Jason English. Our producer is Josh Fisher. Editing and sound design by Josh Fisher. Additional editing by Mary Dube Mixing and mastering by Behead Frazier Original Music by Elise McCoy Fact Checking by Austin Thompson. Show logo by Lucy Quintanilla. Our executive producer is J. JasonEnglish. If you'd like to email the show, you can reach us atveryspecial episodesmail.com if you are a rating giving kind of person, go give us a good one on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you're listening. We will see you next Wednesday. Very Special Episodes is a production of iHeart podcasts.

[John Lithgow]

Hello, I'm John Lithgow.

[Jessica Corgi]

We choose to go to the moon.

[John Lithgow]

I want to tell you about my new fiction podcast that's One Small Step for Man about Buzz Aldrin, one of the true pioneers of space.

[Gene Fleming]

You're a great pilot, Buzz.

[John Lithgow]

That's the story you think you know. This is the story you don't. Buzz. Starring me, John Lithgow on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dana Schwartz]

This is an iHeart podcast.