Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders

Episode 3: “The Skull in the Creek Bed”

Release Date: March 6, 2024
Host: M. William Phelps

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the heartbreaking discovery of Dana Stidham's remains in 1989, explores the impact on her family, and traces law enforcement’s pursuit of suspects—particularly the intense focus on a young man named Mike McMillan. Host M. William Phelps guides listeners through witness accounts, autopsy findings, and the complex web of rumor, grief, and suspicion that surrounded the case as it entered a new investigative phase.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Family’s Grief and Loss

• The Stidham Family’s Ordeal:
  • Georgia Stidham, Dana’s mother, recounts the day authorities notified her of Dana’s fate and shares the lasting pain of her daughter’s loss.
    • Quote: “I'm thinking they're lying like hell because my little girl wasn't dead.” — Georgia Stidham (03:02)
  • Dana’s father, Lawrence, was devastated by Dana’s death, which Georgia believes contributed to his own declining health and early passing.
    • Quote: “It was the beginning of the end for him.” — Georgia Stidham (04:47)
• Search Efforts:
  • Cousin Christy Smith details the family’s desperate efforts to locate Dana, posting flyers and personally combing the surrounding area, only to realize they had unknowingly passed the site where Dana’s body would be discovered. (05:12)

Discovery and Crime Scene Details

• Finding Dana’s Remains:
  • Lt. Hunter Petrae and journalist Brandon Howard describe the initial discovery: a hunter finds a skull and bones in a remote, wooded creek bed (06:24–08:59).
  • The scene was isolated, difficult to access, and likely chosen by someone familiar with the area—possibly someone strong enough to carry a body deep into the woods.
    • Quote: “I don't think that anyone just stumbled across that spot.” — Brandon Howard (08:59)
• Physical Evidence and Autopsy:
  • The autopsy revealed a nick on Dana’s collarbone, likely from a knife, and suggested she was murdered violently and possibly sexually assaulted. Key evidence included her cut bra straps and duct tape found on her shorts (15:27–16:30).
  • Baling twine, tied in various knots, was found at the scene, but its connection to the murder could not be definitively established.
    • Quote: “DNA testing was possible but also unreliable since the material had been out in the elements for so long.” — M. William Phelps (19:03)
  • A single Caucasian hair with root was found in Dana’s car (20:06).

Community Reactions & Shifting Suspicions

• Aftermath and Rumors:
  • The case dominated local news, generating fear and suspicion in the community.
    • Quote: “Benton county was eager to put a face on evil… Fear breeds accusation, reaction and a rush to judgment.” — M. William Phelps (22:24)
• Dana’s Life and Relationships:
  • Georgia recalls Dana as “laugh a minute,” sociable, and universally liked. Her mother and cousin dispute rumors of her being in a serious relationship with Mike McMillan, insisting Dana saw Mike as only a friend.
    • Quote: “She wanted everybody to be her friend.” — Georgia Stidham (23:52)
  • Christy Smith shares a story of Dana’s father running Mike off when they were young teens, hinting at Mike’s persistent but unrequited interest (39:36–40:15).

Focus on Mike McMillan

• Law Enforcement’s Obsession:
  • Mike was “an easy target” for investigators due to weak alibis, emotional behavior, and his possession of Dana’s grave marker (25:24–32:57).
    • Quote: “If I'm a BCSO detective, I'm wondering why in the hell lie about where you were.” — M. William Phelps (26:20)
  • Mike failed to produce a solid alibi and was witnessed visiting Dana’s grave repeatedly, even taking the temporary grave marker—behavior that, while odd, may also reflect grief rather than guilt.
    • Quote: “For someone that they never dated other than just being classmates, he had the most intimate feelings for her that I've ever seen of somebody that wasn't physically in a relationship.” — Hunter Petrae (31:08)
  • Mike admitted to taking the marker, describing it as “the stupidest thing I ever did in my life” (32:57).
• Interviews and Public Scrutiny:
  • BCSO subjected Mike to multiple polygraphs, searches, and an intense “marathon interview,” but he never confessed to the crime and no physical evidence conclusively tied him to Dana’s murder (36:36–37:44).
    • Quote: “From that moment forward, I was the guy. No matter what anyone said or additional evidence pointed in any other direction, people looked at Mike as Dana’s killer.” — Mike McMillan, via Phelps (37:44)
  • Mike’s future wife, Cindy, describes him as upfront, charismatic, and open about the investigation. She never felt he was capable of violence (42:04–44:22).
    • Quote: “But he was a nice guy.” — Cindy McMillan (42:34)

Alternative Theories and Leads

• Party Spot Connection:
  • Investigators considered that the body’s location had previously been a teenage party spot, which was abandoned after a prior incident, possibly expanding the suspect pool to people in Dana’s age group familiar with the area (14:05).
• Rumors of a Police Officer’s Involvement:
  • Some accounts suggest a married local police officer showed undue interest in Dana, stopping her under pretenses. While not directly implicated or named, this thread has lingered in community suspicion and police interviews (44:31–45:32).
• Eyewitness at Wonderland Cave:
  • An anonymous woman describes seeing Dana with a suspicious, unfamiliar man at Wonderland Cave the night she went missing. She reported her unease to authorities, who reportedly dismissed her concerns—until Dana’s disappearance was made public. She later learned the man’s name was “Mike,” further muddying the waters (46:18–50:42).
    • Quote: “Something in my mind told me that this guy is fixing to kill this girl. Oh, my God. This is some kind of a murder.” — Anonymous witness (47:32–48:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Georgia Stidham, on hearing the news:
  • “I'm thinking they're lying like hell because my little girl wasn't dead.” (03:02)
• Brandon Howard, on the crime scene:
  • “It's a place you go from a paved highway that sees thousands of cars to dirt road really quickly... I don't think that anyone just stumbled across that spot.” (08:24–08:59)
• Hunter Petrae, on Mike’s grave visits:
  • “He would... just say things like, he's talking to her. Just weird, man. Like, to me, that screams guilt.” (31:08)
• Mike McMillan, on his reputation after being named publicly:
  • “From that moment forward, I was the guy. No matter what anyone said or additional evidence pointed in any other direction, people looked at Mike as Dana’s killer.” (37:44)
• Christy Smith, on Mike’s persistence:
  • “He would write her notes about, you know, wanting to go out with her and stuff, and she would tell him that she just liked him for a friend, and he would just keep trying and asking.” (41:05)
• Anonymous Cave Witness:
  • “Something in my mind told me that this guy is fixing to kill this girl. Oh, my God. This is some kind of a murder.” (47:32)

Key Timestamps

• 01:50–05:12: Georgia Stidham and Christy Smith on grief & the search for Dana
• 06:24–10:16: Discovery of Dana’s body & remote crime scene explored
• 13:13–15:27: Suspicion about the hunter and the autopsy findings
• 15:56–19:12: Twine, bindings, and early evidence
• 22:16–23:52: Impact on the community; remembering Dana’s personality
• 25:24–32:57: The investigation’s focus on Mike McMillan
• 36:36–37:44: The marathon interrogation and media pressure on Mike
• 39:36–41:14: Family and friends on Mike’s relationship with Dana
• 42:04–44:22: Cindy McMillan on Mike’s character
• 44:31–45:32: Suspicion of local police officer involvement
• 46:18–50:47: Anonymous Wonderland Cave eyewitness account

Episode Tone & Style

M. William Phelps maintains an empathetic and methodical approach, mixing narrative urgency with sensitivity to victims’ families and skeptical, evidence-focused investigation. The tone is probing, often tragic, and highly personal, especially as Phelps relates his own experiences with unsolved murder within his family.

Summary

In “The Skull in the Creek Bed,” Paper Ghosts peels back the layers of a decades-old murder case, revealing the pain endured by Dana Stidham’s family, the labyrinthine search for a perpetrator, and the hazards of focusing intensely on a single suspect without conclusive evidence. The episode captures the atmosphere of suspicion, grief, and unresolved loss that pervades both the case and the community—and sets the stage for yet deeper revelations to come.