Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders

Episode 4: “The Cave”
Host: M. William Phelps
Date: March 13, 2024

Episode Overview

This episode continues the deep investigation into the 1989 murder of Dana Stidham in Bella Vista, Arkansas, focusing on disputed leads, the role of rumors, aggressive police tactics, and shifting suspects. Host M. William Phelps tracks how a confusing web of sources, local rumors, and police interviews led authorities to focus heavily—perhaps unfairly—on one suspect, Mike McMillan, and eventually introduces a new, disturbing person of interest as the investigation progresses. The episode is marked by tense interviews, credible family concerns, and a dramatic discovery that promises to turn the case in a new direction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Mike" Lead and Hearsay in Small Town Murders

• Phelps revisits tips about a “Mike” seen with Dana at the dance on the night of her disappearance, exploring how rumors fueled suspicion.
• A primary anonymous source shares her unsettling experiences around "Mike," including a chilling warning from a girl on "the hill"—a spot teens partied near Bella Vista.
  • Anonymous Source (03:58):

    “There was three guys and another girl ... I said, y' all know Dana Stidham? ... [the girl] says, ‘You better leave here right now, because if you don't, ... the same thing's gonna happen to you.’”

• Phelps explains that several people of interest named Mike were considered and examines how hearsay, although compelling, doesn’t equal evidence.

2. Danger, Small Town Politics, and The Girl on the Hill

• The “girl on the hill” is revealed to be both a friend of Dana’s and a potential witness—but she’s deceased and cannot be interviewed. Dana’s mother, Georgia Stidham, provides a deeply negative but revealing account of this girl, describing her as manipulative and involved in drugs.
  • Georgia Stidham (09:56):

    “I think the bitch had a lot to do with it. And that a bitch is exactly what she was. ... She was smart mouthed and she wanted to be a big person and doing things ... she couldn't quite carry it off.”

• Police reports and family interviews suggest the girl and her friends could have been involved in drug trafficking, opening up other investigative pathways and motives.

3. The Narrowing on Mike McMillan

• Much of the episode centers around Mike McMillan, the original focus of police suspicion:
  • Police fixation: Despite a lack of physical evidence, detectives repeatedly interrogated Mike, pressuring him for a confession, even resorting to deception and intimidation.
    • Detective Danny Varner (18:36):

      “Mike, we interview people all the time... You’re cool. You’ve learned to live with this, and it makes it easy.”

    • Phelps (19:55):

      “The BCSO did not have Mike's fingerprints inside Dana's car. They had no fingerprints, in fact. Lying, however, is totally within the boundaries when you're interviewing a suspect.”

  • Questionable evidence:
    • McMillan’s ex-wife describes being contacted and searched by law enforcement.
    • Hair found in Mike’s truck was tested; DNA excluded Dana as the donor (26:56).
  • Polygraph tests:
    • Mike passed the first, failed the second, but steadfastly denied involvement.
    • Mike McMillan (24:21):

      "Sometimes I think I did kill Dana, but I know I didn't."

  • Family suspicion:
    • Dana’s mother, Georgia, remains convinced Mike knows more than he says:
      • Georgia Stidham (13:47):

        “Yes. I still think he knew who it was, where they had her and everything else. And I probably always will.”

4. Investigative Challenges and Law Enforcement Dynamics

• The show highlights investigative shortcomings: lost or prematurely released evidence (Dana’s car), poor handling of suspects, and tunnel vision.
  • Christy Smith (cousin, 32:55):

    "The police didn't seem too worried still. It just seemed like there was a lot of things that should have been done that wasn't... Like, they only kept her car for a few days and then they gave it back to her parents."

• The former prosecutor Nathan Smith discusses how multiple viable suspects complicate the prosecution and create reasonable doubt.
  • Nathan Smith (27:55):

    “If you have one or two other pretty good suspects, that's almost by definition, reasonable doubt.”

5. The Introduction of a New Suspect: "Jack Linney"

• Shifting from McMillan, the story introduces a new suspect (pseudonym: Jack Linney), a well-educated but troubled man with a long history of sexual harassment and brain injury.
  • Brandon Howard (36:40):

    “Voracious appetite is the best ... It seems that no woman or job or building ... has not had a story of some unnerving incident of harassment or behavior.”

• Linney was in Bella Vista at the right time despite an alibi and his pattern matched many dangerous behaviors.
  • Brandon Howard (37:07):

    “It's frightening ... checks all the boxes for a sexual predator ... following them on the highway, trying to pull them over, in some cases, groping them.”

• Phelps reports that law enforcement considered Linney a viable suspect for Dana’s murder and possibly other area homicides.

6. A Break in the Case: Gruesome Discovery

• In late 1990, Linda and Randy Grohler discover skeletal remains in Anderson, Missouri, just north of the original crime scene, potentially changing the investigation’s direction.
  • Linda Grohler (41:02):

    “He says, ‘Linda, I see a skull.’ ... And then ... we could see the rest of the body on the ... lean to on the old house on a concrete slab.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Anonymous Source (05:53):

  “What I understand is that Dana went out to the man cave in Bella Vista that night. The men decided they were gonna trade off girlfriends and ... they ended up getting in a fight ... that Stidham girl got cut ... [named officer] told him to put her in his car or his truck, take her and bury her.”

• Georgia Stidham (12:47):

  “That he was a little chicken shit. ... He went down there and he took something from a little dead girl, and I didn't like the little thing. Anyway, I don't like Mike McMillan, and I can't stand his parents.”

• M. William Phelps (21:11):

  “This night, of course, had been years before. As the interview continues, they talk about how Mike's alibi fell apart ... Evidence that was all highly circumstantial at best.”

• M. William Phelps (26:56):

  “Dana Stidham can be eliminated as the donor of the head hair found inside Mike McMillan’s vehicle.”

• Nathan Smith (28:56):

  “Now, the real issue is ... was there DNA evidence preserved that can be tested today ... people [in 1989] didn’t think about doing that.”

• Brandon Howard (37:46):

  “I would argue no [he can’t be excluded]. The best exclusion probably would have been his alibi ... that was refuted by the evidence ...”

• Linda Grohler (41:02):

  “He says, ‘Linda, I see a skull.’ … we could see the rest of the body ... on the concrete slab.”

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:55–03:28: Anonymous source’s account of “Mike” and party at the hill
• 05:39–06:36: Detective emphasizes not discounting possible witness statements
• 09:50–11:06: Georgia Stidham on the “girl on the hill” and alleged drug running
• 12:26–13:47: Discussion of hair evidence and Georgia’s suspicion of Mike
• 16:17–17:38: Mike McMillan's ex-wife on repeated police interrogations
• 18:36–24:02: Marathon police interview with Mike; tactics, intimidation, and polygraph discussion
• 26:26–26:56: DNA test eliminates Dana as hair donor in Mike’s truck
• 27:55–28:38: Prosecutor Nathan Smith explains challenges with multiple suspects
• 32:55–33:35: Cousin Christy Smith on police missteps and evidence mishandling
• 34:42–39:08: Introduction and background of suspect "Jack Linney"
• 41:02–41:34: Linda Grohler and her husband discover skeletal remains

Tone and Style

The episode carries a gritty, investigative tone, blending small-town suspicion, family grief, and relentless cold-case work. Phelps balances skepticism with empathy, giving voice to family members, frustrated law enforcement, and credible local journalists. The frank, sometimes coarse language of witnesses and family (e.g., Georgia Stidham) reflects the rawness and emotional toll of the case.

Summary

Episode 4 of "Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders" peels back the complexity of small-town investigations, the dangers of tunnel vision, and the heartbreak of a family still searching for answers decades later. By exploring conflicting testimonies, the failure of forensic evidence to implicate the primary suspect, and the overdue attention to other dangerous individuals in the community, the podcast suggests that Dana’s case is far from solved—and hints at new developments on the horizon.