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- [00:00]
M. William Phelps
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
- [00:06]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
So let me get this straight. Your company has data here, there and everywhere but your AI can't use the.
- [00:12]
Brandon Howard
Data because it's here, there and everywhere?
- [00:17]
M. William Phelps
Seems like something's missing. Every business has unique data.
- [00:22]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
IBM helps your AI access your data wherever it lives.
- [00:25]
Brandon Howard
To change how you do business.
- [00:28]
Lets create Smile to business IBM.
- [00:35]
Commercial Announcer
10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points.
- [00:45]
You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.
- [00:54]
M. William Phelps
This is where mindset comes in.
- [00:56]
Commercial Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down. This is Trainer Games.
- [01:02]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Watch it on prime video starting January 8th.
- [01:05]
Commercial Announcer
Come for the Black Friday seasonal savings Stay for the award winning reporting For a limited time access to the Washington Post is just 99 cents. That's unlimited access to all of the posts for only 99 cents every four weeks. That's a great deal for the first year. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. You can cancel anytime. But don't wait. This Black Friday seasonal offer won't be here for long. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart and grab this deal before it's gone. That's washingtonpost.com iheart a warning about this episode.
- [01:38]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
It contains sexually violent, offensive, extremely graphic language, yet vital to include when exploring the facts of both Shawna's and Dana's cases.
- [02:06]
Grass is not cut.
- [02:07]
Drew Miller
No one's around.
- [02:09]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
But give it a shot. See what he has to say. Jack Linney is still a strong person of interest for the murders of both Dana Stidham and Shawna Garber. I determined the best way to approach him was a cold call, a surprise knock on his door. Try to catch the guy by surprise, off his game. See if I can tell who he is before he can put up a front to disguise himself.
- [02:44]
Today, Linney lives in a suburban neighborhood. Each cookie cutter house like the one before it. The town where he lives, which I am choosing not to name, is between Bella Vista, Arkansas and Anderson, Missouri. During the time of Dana's murder, he was living in Bentonville, Arkansas, just a few miles from Dana's home, workplace and where Dana's body was found. He then moved to a different county just 35 miles from Pineville, where Shawna's body was found.
- [03:15]
The houses around Linny's were well kept yards, well maintained, that is all of them except for Linny's. In fact, it appeared as though he'd abandoned yard work and any Type of upkeep long ago.
- [03:35]
M. William Phelps
On.
- [03:37]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Shades are drawn and hail are on the ground. I stood for a while on his front steps and waited. He was either not home or not answering. The windows, quite strangely, were covered from the inside with newspaper. Every single one of them. No one seems to be home.
- [04:00]
With multiple daily newspapers left on the doorstep wet and moldy, I got a sense that no one had been home in quite some time. I checked the garbage bin and it hadn't been used for a while. Other than helping me paint a mental picture of this guy, I struck out. This time my surprise visit didn't yield the results I'd hoped for. But I could now begin calling Lenny to see what he had to say and find out if he'd even talked to me. I sensed he was the type of guy who needed to explain himself, so I was hopeful. This as the deeper I looked at Lenny, the more evidence I found pointing to his alleged involvement in two 30 plus year old cold murder.
- [04:55]
Previously on Paper Ghosts.
- [04:58]
M. William Phelps
He said, we're gonna start playing chess by mail. And he said, don't cheat. I thought, what?
- [05:05]
Commercial Announcer
How dare you?
- [05:06]
Brandon Howard
A serial killer.
- [05:08]
M. William Phelps
Moralized to me there was probably like.
- [05:11]
Drew Miller
17 different types of twine that were used to cocoon this young lady after she had been murdered.
- [05:19]
M. William Phelps
Extremely difficult, but it's not impossible. None of them are impossible. If it was impossible, we'd probably stop trying. But this can be solved. And it will be.
- [05:29]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
My name is M. William Phelps. I'm an investigative journalist and author of more than 40 true crime books. This is season four of Paper the Ozarks.
- [05:49]
Law enforcement studies on cold casework have shown that the passage of time can pose a serious threat to recall accuracy. In other words, a witness's memory might produce inaccuracies because of the time between the crime and the account provided to law enforcement. This is why documentation, recorded interviews and information gathered near the time of the crime and in real time become so utterly vital to cold case investigation. At the end of the last episode, you heard a prosecutor talk about evidence found in Jack Linney's house during a search warrant over a year after Dana's murder. Spools of various ropes, cable and wire. That search also uncovered some rather alarming forensic evidence, which we're about to unpack in this episode. Before that, however, I'd like to go back and look at two specific significant events leading up to the execution of those warrants. First, there was a disturbing phone call. Unlike any of the past calls you've heard that the BCSO thought might possibly Be connected to Dana Stidham's case. This call, which is violent in content, made just after Dana went missing, felt very significant and perhaps even an indication of things to come.
- [07:19]
M. William Phelps
Hello, this is. I understand you're having an auction to raise money. Yes, I am. What's the money for? Well, we're trying to raise money for the Stidham family. We hope to be able to raise enough money to help the family out and start a reward fund that might help us find who killed Dana Stidden. Are you afraid to get involved in something like this? No, not really. You should be. Why is that? How would you like me to cut your tits off?
- [07:50]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Terrified, the woman immediately hung up the phone. A second call came in sometime later. Hello? The caller alluded once again to the reward money, but. But he was hard to understand. The woman was certain, however, she was speaking to the same person.
- [08:10]
M. William Phelps
Who is this? Listen, bitch, I'm gonna stick my knife in your. Hey, you know where I'm at.
- [08:17]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
She hung up the phone. A third call came in soon after.
- [08:23]
M. William Phelps
Know what I'm gonna do to you? You have to be really hard. I'm gonna you so hard you'll think my is gonna come out your throat. I can hardly wait to chew on your. I mean, listening. Did you hear me? Damn you. You better listen. I'll you to my goddamn knife. You. They'll never find you.
- [08:45]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
This time. He hung up the phone. You might be wondering why these calls happened to be recorded. And that's because the calls had been made to the tip line set up for Dana's investigation. The woman called the BCSO immediately after the third call. The BCSO interviewed her right away. Journalist Brandon Howard spoke with me about those disturbing calls you just heard.
- [09:12]
Brandon Howard
I understand it was a family friend and worked at the post office, which was really Caddy corner to the grocery store where Dana worked. You could access it from the same parking lot.
- [09:23]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
The frightening part of Brandon's comment is that it's entirely possible the caller was watching the woman from a payphone overlooking the post office in the parking lot of Philip's Grocery.
- [09:39]
These calls were different from the previous ones explored throughout the investigation, not only in context, but in how threatening and serious they seemed. Violence was part of the caller's objective, as was trying to instill fear and intimidate certain individuals connected to Dana's case.
- [10:01]
Brandon Howard
Yeah, I think the phone call significant because it doesn't seem like a typical phone call. That's a prank, which I'm sure there were probably phone calls that were pranks. Involved in Dana's case. I think that's probably typical of any case like this. But this is repeated phone calls that I would argue grow more disturbing. And they are pretty specific in the types of threats the caller delivers.
- [10:23]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
I asked Brandon for his insights about the caller.
- [10:27]
Brandon Howard
First thought was that it escalated from 0 to 100, like really quickly, seemingly in just a handful of phone calls. Two, if you're comparing this to another suspect in the case, possibly a high school classmate of Dana's, it doesn't seem like something a high schooler would do. And to have an addendum to that, if there is the possibility that he made a phone call to another woman later in life, it doesn't seem to fit somewhat of a jovial, not disturbing, sexual conversation he had with another woman. Nothing like this where there were threats of bodily harm, an escalation to violence. And the third part about it is the phone call was paired with a voice lineup. And the woman at the post office selected a voice of a suspect who later emerged in Dana's case, that I think is probably the best suspect of the group.
- [11:26]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
During the woman's interview with BCSO detectives, they played a voice lineup. Six different voices of six different men. Within those six men was Jack Linney's voice from that first interview the BCSO had conducted with him. She immediately picked Lenny's voice out of the lineup. This call also points us away from the BCSO's early target, Mike McMillan, because whoever called into this tip line would have had access to local information in order to know certain details. And so the other part of it is. And you made this point, which I think is very, very valid, it's hard to believe that it could be Mike McMillan, because would he have access to the Daily Record?
- [12:18]
M. William Phelps
Right.
- [12:19]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Or even get that information from family and make the call?
- [12:25]
Brandon Howard
Exactly, yeah. The more I thought about that, to place the context of the 1989 phone calls, he would have to have access to the daily newspaper in the area. There was no Internet, social media, things that we take for granted.
- [12:37]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Now, Mike McMillan was not even in the state when the calls were made into the tip line, which completely excludes him as a potential source. And here's the thing about Jack Linney's voice I need to underscore.
- [12:53]
Brandon Howard
She selected voice, which I hate to say feather and the cat, but stood out to me at least, because had a very unique speaking style. The result of a bad accident that left him with some brain damage. So he had a slur lisp type of voice. And I thought that really stood out because it would seem like something somebody would remember from a phone call. And then if they hurt back again, they'd be more likely to choose it.
- [13:26]
Commercial Announcer
10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points.
- [13:36]
You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.
- [13:45]
M. William Phelps
This is where mindset comes in.
- [13:47]
Commercial Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down. This is Trainer Games.
- [13:53]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Watch it on prime video starting January 8th.
- [13:57]
Brandon Howard
Shh.
- [13:58]
M. William Phelps
You won't believe what my new friend.
- [14:00]
Commercial Announcer
Just told me about dinosaurs. Is your child having conversations you never imagined? Are they learning without realizing it? It's not a tablet. It's not a toy. It's Meco Mini plus. AI powered companion that turns curiosity into endless learning. Hear the future of playtime. Meet the extraordinary MECO Mini plus. Only at Costco. Come for the Black Friday seasonal savings. Stay for the award winning reporting for a limited time access to the Washington Post is just 99 cents. That's unlimited access to all of the posts for only 99 cents every four weeks. That's a great deal for the first year. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. You can cancel anytime, but don't wait. This Black Friday seasonal offer won't be here for long. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart and grab this deal before it's gone. That's washingtonpost.com iheart.
- [15:02]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
The focus on Jack Linney as a person of interest in Dana Stidham's murder and conceivably Shawna Garber's murder went from intense to laser focused in 1993 after he was picked out of that voice lineup. Another fact leading to the search warrants on Linney's home and vehicle was a second interview, which was more of an interrogation. If you recall, the first Jack Linney interview was rather light handed and conducted during the information gathering phase of the investigation. This second interview was more strategically designed to get him to maybe admit to his possible role in Dana's murder and start heading in the direction of positioning him as potentially being involved in Shawna Garber's. Unfortunately, I could not locate a recording of this second interview, but was able to find a copy of a complete transcript. Additionally, while I was in Bentonville, Arkansas, I met with someone you heard at the end of the previous episode, the former prosecutor who was part of the team interviewing Linnie that second time. If I couldn't hear the interview myself, the next best thing was to talk to someone who Was in the room.
- [16:24]
And so you are Drew Miller right.
- [16:27]
Drew Miller
Now, just an attorney in private practice. So you're coming to me because I was the deputy prosecuting attorney and the chief deputy prosecuting attorney in the Benton County Prosecutor's office. September of 91 until January of 95.
- [16:44]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Drew has this southern charm about him that is hard not to like. He works out of a sprawling office located inside a gothic style building reminiscent of a 15th century church. Drew oversaw the prosecutor's office in Benton county and was present for the search warrants and second longer interview the BCSO conducted with Jack Linney in 1993. One thing he cleared up for me was how the BCSO had latched onto Linney. Back in the first episode, I talked about a man seen talking to Dana in the parking lot of the Phillips. One report had the two of them apparently arguing. The guy who was with Dana matched Lenny's description. And more importantly, when confronted about whether he was in the parking lot on that July 25 afternoon, the last time Dana was seen, Lenny said, quote, she might have even talked.
- [17:47]
Drew Miller
So I think my recollection he was identified early on and then he surfaced again, maybe just to do due diligence and making sure that they were going back to re interview everybody. But it seemed to me that when we talked to this individual that there was some independent evidence that they had found. I think they had found maybe some maps or something that had come up that were maybe in his vehicle or that he had given them or given somebody that had some locations of not only where close proximity where Dana had disappeared, but some close proximity where other individual unsolved murders had appeared. Generally the same type of criteria, female, age, anywhere from 20 to 35. And they had some confidence even before he was interviewed, but they felt like that he was a strong lead.
- [18:51]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
In an earlier episode, I mentioned those maps which were found in Lenny's vehicle and had the locations in town clearly marked where Dana had visited or had been seen on the day she disappeared. Why in the hell would Jack Linney have maps marked with that sort of information?
- [19:12]
Here's journalist Brandon Howard.
- [19:15]
Brandon Howard
He reportedly had several maps of Bella Vista in his vehicle that he initially said belonged to the newspaper. But detectives were concerned because he had markings on the maps that included the spot where Dana's car was found and the grocery store where she worked at. He tries to pass that off as that's the location where newspapers might be built. But they have questions about that since why would a newspaper tube be built on the side of the highway or At a grocery store. He has no solid answer to that response. He also has a bizarre outburst that he has no idea about. The Stidham homicide. Seemingly in an unrelated question that bears little to any relevation about her case.
- [19:54]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
He just, you know, red flags all over the place with this guy.
- [19:58]
Brandon Howard
Yes. I don't mean to laugh. Yeah, red flags.
- [19:59]
M. William Phelps
It's.
- [20:00]
Brandon Howard
It's shocking. I mean, if I was to check the box of predator or deviant, this guy checks several of those boxes.
- [20:07]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
I mean, showing up at a store with a ski mask on, telling the.
- [20:11]
Brandon Howard
Women you're horny as hell. It's very bizarre. Waiting for them in the parking lot. Mentioning he gave detailed answers about Dana's case, referred to her as a really good looking person. That saddened him that people like that are killed, never the ugly ones. In addition to that, he mentions, unprompted that Dana had might have had a low tire, which could have prompted him to pull her over. But that wasn't mentioned by detectives in the interview. It was public knowledge, but not mentioned by detectives in the interview.
- [20:40]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
The plan during this second interview with Linney was to get him under oath to explain the circumstances, pointing the BCSO in his direction. You heard the first interview, which was very much an avenue for the BCSO to let lney know they were coming after him. During that second interview, prosecutor Drew Miller explained Linney rang several alarm bells without ever being prompted, Starting with agreeing to the interview in the first place.
- [21:14]
Drew Miller
They were wanting to pin him down. Very surprised that he wanted to come in. You know, my initial reaction is, you know, this guy's coming in. Surely he's not the guy, right? I mean, who, who does that? But the interview was. Everything can be considered unusual, but from my perspective, it was, it was almost like he definitely wasn't afraid.
- [21:38]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
The interview was conducted mostly by Danny Varner. Lenny, 46 years old at the time, was cocky and smarmy, Answering questions in a sarcastic manner as if he was taunting law enforcement.
- [21:54]
Drew Miller
I got the feeling during some course of that interview, if Danny had the legal ability to wrap his hands around his neck, he would have wrapped his hands around his neck. But he, he maintained it was just an interesting interview because as I'm, as I'm listening to him, it's just not like I'm sure he denied it, but it just really wasn't like he denied it. You know, it's just like he just wanted to continue the conversation.
- [22:16]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
What law enforcement found unquestionably disturbing, not to mention revealing, was that Linney himself brought the Subject of Dana Stidham up it.
- [22:27]
Drew Miller
Just as I sat there in the interview, my feelings changed to. I know something is going on with this guy. I don't, I don't know what it is. I'm not a doctor, I'm not a psychologist. I'm just trying to get a real. But there was just something that was clinically off.
- [22:44]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
At one point, while referring to Dana, Lenny says, quote, she was real good looking and that's one of the big things that always ticked me off. They always kill the good looking ones. They don't ever kill the old fat ugly hog. End quote. It's a shaming, demeaning and human humiliating way to view women. Especially when you're being questioned about the murder of the young woman you are talking about.
- [23:16]
Drew Miller
Yeah, again that would be a typical example like in some aspects really incriminating.
- [23:21]
M. William Phelps
Right.
- [23:21]
Drew Miller
If he, if he says it the right way or, or the wrong way. But as, as you're going for, he says a lot of that stuff and you're just going, why would he even go there?
- [23:31]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
At one point they pressed him about prior arrests and he mentioned a concealed weapon charge and also being accused of stealing a police officer's gun. In an earlier episode, we discussed a report from a witness claiming to have seen Dana's car being followed by a station wagon. At the time, Lenny owned a station wagon fitting the description which had been searched the week before the second interview. Inside they found blood on the front passenger seat, floorboard carpets and on the back seat, along with several female hairs. So two and two make four again.
- [24:16]
Drew Miller
At the time I thought that there was enough evidence to piece things together.
- [24:20]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Next, Drew makes an astute point about motive, placing Lyney into a very distinct, rare category of murderers which begins to point at him as a serious person of interest in Shawna Garber's murder as well. Or at the least someone who needs to be excluded.
- [24:39]
Drew Miller
Well, that's a problem with a serial killer because number one is motive. And with a serial killer you don't really have motive. And this at least based on its the perception at the time, and probably the perception now is it was a serial killer, could have been somebody that she known, but somebody that had done this before or there potentially was no way to string them together individually as far as motive. So then the next thing you need to prove is opportunity. And that's a tricky one because obviously the opportunity potentially existed. But the longer a case goes on, you know, it's very, it's very difficult to prove that opportunity.
- [25:19]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
The BCSO had already proved Lenny had the opportunity, was in the area at the time and had no alibi for that night. Furthermore, they spoke to his then wife who said he would leave home for days at a time and she had no idea where he was or where he had gone.
- [25:39]
Drew Miller
And then you get to the intent issue and the intent with regard to a serial killer is that is just that. So it's almost like with a serial killer you gotta, you kind of got to build the bodies, you know, I'm afraid, I mean that's the worst part of it. You got to connect, as opposed to connecting the dots, you got to connect the bodies. And so it's difficult. I mean there because the number one thing that is good in any kind of murder case is the motive. And you really don't have it. At least you can't connect it.
- [26:05]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Right.
- [26:05]
Drew Miller
So that's what makes these kind of difficult.
- [26:10]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
A serial killer acts with impunity. Their number one motive for killing is for the fun of it. Drew Miller's point is incredibly valid. To catch a serial killer, it's imperative to find a connection among his victims, which often leads to evidence and simultaneously additional victims. And so over the course of time, how did it progress with him?
- [26:37]
Drew Miller
I don't know how long. I mean, I definitely know Sidoriak. He had a passion for it and Varner had a passion for it. And it's just like anything else, just like any occupation, you know, the people that have passion for it continue the fire. When they, when they're not there to fan it, it's going to die. And so that's why people that do cold cases, it's really hard for them because they have to, they have to build that, that desire, you know, and they have to build it from scratch. And some are really good at it. You know, some of them, you know, open the box and they're, they're all there. Some, it takes a while and I mean, but if you're like, what are you going to do? Hand a young detective a 30 year old case and say go investigate this. He's like, oh my, what am I going to be doing for the rest of my life? You know, so it's, it's just a different situation. It's just a different situation for sure.
- [27:21]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Such an important comment and one I think victims, families need to hear. Investigators involved in a particular case for 10, 20, even 30 years ultimately retire. The new team comes in and they lock onto another case, contemporary or otherwise. Cold cases get put on a back burner. Not for any Nefarious or personal reasons. It's just how the system is designed. The squeaky wheels get the oil. Which is why it's so vital for victims families to keep whispering in the ears of law enforcement about their cases without making accusations or becoming too bothersome or an annoyance.
- [28:07]
I do understand how difficult a task this can become, how utterly painful, how gut wrenching and frustrating when there are no answers and law enforcement is seemingly not responding. But oftentimes it's a matter of logistics, budgets, and new cases taking precedence. Even when everyone is doing their best.
- [28:32]
Drew Miller
With regard to this suspect, I'm confident that he was watched in some sort of fashion. He was somewhat kept track of.
- [28:40]
During.
- [28:40]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
His second interview as investigators really began to drill down into him. Linney clearly enjoyed playing cat and mouse. A pattern of his I would soon learn firsthand myself. In one instance, Detective Danny Varner asks him if he drove a station wagon and a pickup truck. Linney responds rather smartly, only one at a time. Then they ask which roads he favored driving. And if he ever drove on River Road in Pineville, Missouri, which would have been a convenient cut through heading toward where he lived in Missouri, then this route would have taken him directly by the area where Shawna Garber's body was dumped. He plays dumb, saying, maybe not sure sometimes I think so. Then they ask him about a Texas license plate he had and if he ever used it. His bizarre response to that I don't know anything about Stidham, about the Stidham homicide or anything else. Makes you wonder how he made that leap from being asked about a license plate to responding with defensiveness about a murder investigation, naming the actual victim. My guess is that if he had used that license plate on the night of Dana's abuse, abduction and murder, that he could be trying to get in front of the evidence, thinking maybe somebody had reported seeing a Texas license plate. Would you call him smart?
- [30:22]
Drew Miller
I would not call myself smart. I don't call him smart because I thought, I think this person did it and he was just allowed. Just. He just was there giving an interview. That's what I mean.
- [30:33]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
It just.
- [30:33]
Drew Miller
It's like I couldn't figure him out. I just couldn't figure him out. I would say probably is one of those people that, you know, this might be a characteristic you. Somebody might say if you ask in the parameters for this characteristic, that he's smart. I think given a nuclear war, is one of those guys that are going to survive, you know, and that's smart in and of itself. So smart in an intelligent way where he can add numbers or write a poem? No, but if it came to survival, maybe smarter than most of us.
- [31:04]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
That makes sense. And it also sounds like you're going down. The Psychology of a Serial killer Yeah, I was convinced.
- [31:19]
Commercial Announcer
10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points.
- [31:30]
You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.
- [31:38]
M. William Phelps
This is where mindset comes in.
- [31:40]
Commercial Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down. This is Trainer Games.
- [31:47]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Watch it on prime video starting January 8th.
- [31:49]
Commercial Announcer
Then the space hamster flew his hot.
- [31:52]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Air balloon all the way to the.
- [31:54]
Commercial Announcer
Bottom of the ocean. Where did that story come from? Book Dream? Nope. It came from a conversation. Meet Mikomini, the AI companion that co creates personalized story adventures with your child in real time. What color was the hamster's cape and what did he pack for lunch? Unlock your child's imagination. Discover Miko Mini plus and the Magic of AI Exclusively at Costco. Come for the Black Friday seasonal savings. Stay for the award winning Reporting for a limited time access to the Washington Post is just 99 cents. That's unlimited access to all of the posts for only 99 cents every four weeks. That's a great deal for the first year. After that it'll cost $12 every four weeks. You can cancel anytime, but don't wait. This Black Friday seasonal offer won't be here for long. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart and grab this deal before it's gone. That's washingtonpost.com iheart.
- [32:55]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Known as the adversarial model in law enforcement, AM is an interrogation technique specifically used to obtain a confession. Investigators apply high pressure tactics and close ended and suggestive questions which are purposely hurled at a suspect in order to elicit a reaction. We've all seen this model on procedural cop dramas and true crime shows. This was how BCSO detectives Danny Varner and Mike Sidoriak, with then prosecutor Drew Miller sitting in, went at Jack Linney during that second interview, hitting him hard with everything they had. The blood soaked station wagon, his truck with the camper. The fact that a man fitting the Linney's description down to a ball cap he admitted wearing that day was reported speaking to Dana, perhaps even fighting with her in the parking lot of the Phillips. Further into the interview, Linney says in response to allegations of sexual harassment against him, quote, well, if some people want to take it wrong, they can complain if they want to. From there, he admitted that he routinely pulled over women on the road near the Phillips, had a habit of picking up hitchhikers, knew details about Dana's case not released publicly. Later, when asked pointedly, maybe you picked up old Dana and just things went downhill for her, Linney answered, maybe. When asked for a hair sample. Being the cocky smartass he is, Linney responded, next time I go to the barber, I'll save you some. I guess that was a no. After being asked why he was driving around with duct tape in his car, Lenny says, I don't use it. And finally, after being asked, within the context of Dana's murder, mind you, if he ever sometimes thought about killing people, Jack Linney replied, yes.
- [35:05]
Drew Miller
It just. It was an interesting interview. There was a scurry of activity as I recall, right after that interview with regard to a young lady that had been found on a porch and wrapped in cords. I participated in a search warrant up there and that was of his parents house.
- [35:24]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
That search of Linnie's mother's house yielded several interesting findings, including two white ropes, some blue and white rope which matched with the same rope used to bind Shawna Garber, green and black army paracord, and two knives.
- [35:44]
And then there was the interview with Lenny's ex wife, whose name I am choosing not to use. From that interview, it's clear the BCSO was in full pursuit of Lenny, heading down the road of an arrest warrant. Remember, law enforcement recovered the contents of Dana's purse, but not the bag itself. Linney was said to have collected purses, as strange as that sounds. And one source claimed he kept his vast collection of purses at his mother's house. As they get into a conversation about Dana's purse with his ex wife, an interesting exchange takes. First, they describe what Dana's purse looked like before casually, as you can hear in this exclusive recording, sliding a photo of a similar purse across the table.
- [36:37]
M. William Phelps
This one had Jordache right on the front of it. I've seen that. Have you? She ever given you a purse like that? Purse like that? I've got a denim one, kind of a pouch. Denim purse or. Well, actually it's a Spangler jeans. Okay, what about any jewelry as Danny was talking about? Remember if he gave you any jewelry during that time or he found any jewelry? He gives you jewelry. It's silver. I like silver jewelry. No. Did he ever find anything at that time? No. Jewelry he'll usually give to me because I like jewelry. I got a bunch of it. I don't wear it off, you know, wear it, but I Like it. I collect it.
- [37:21]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Then they touch on the seemingly endless number of sexual harassment claims lodged against her ex husband. And how most of the women working at Phillips were so scared of the guy, they had their husbands wait for them in the parking lot after work. Because Linnie was out there just about every single day stalking and even following them home. Listen to how Detective Danny Varner explains it.
- [37:51]
Brandon Howard
Go on.
- [37:53]
M. William Phelps
I said, about.
- [37:55]
Five weeks ago, we started receiving other complaints from a checker up there in the Phillips store. And it got to the point that she had to be locked to her phone after.
- [38:07]
Parking lot. And she was just scared to death.
- [38:13]
Then two weeks ago this Friday, followed another girl that works at Phillips's from Bentonville down Breathaway Hill. Just Uncle French, Hickory and Hugh right down there coming back into Bella Vista and between there and Mela Vista. He pulled up beside her and was hollering at her and motioning for her to pull over. Doing his thumb like this. Pull over. This girl had her air conditioner on, her windows up and stereo on. She says, I didn't know him. And she has a lot of trouble with her ex husband. And she just won't stop for anybody. She said, I just flipped him off and sped him speed up and said, he's still staying right on my bumper all the way to Phillips's where I, you know, was coming back to work. And he go into the Phillips Parker line. And when she was inside.
- [39:05]
Telling the other girls what had happened and describing the pickup and the male subject in the pickup.
- [39:11]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
So even after he was interviewed about harassing women and Dana's murder, Lenny was still frequenting the Phillips parking lot, still harassing women, still following them, still trying to pull them over. Then this.
- [39:31]
M. William Phelps
What we think is Dana knew him, which we've got people saying that he talked to her, you know, in times. He knew everybody in the Deli Creek and in there numerous times.
- [39:41]
Brandon Howard
Of that.
- [39:43]
M. William Phelps
Dana was the type, if he'd ever thought of Dana, and pulled up beside her until he'd pulled off, she pulled off. She. And you know, and we don't know if it was that talked to her right outside the store much possibly that he told her something that, you know, can you follow me up there and take me somewhere where I can leave my car or something? And Dana would have been the type of person. Maybe things just got a little out of hand and.
- [40:14]
Things went downhill from there.
- [40:17]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
They asked about a possible penchant Lenny had for picking up hitchhikers.
- [40:22]
M. William Phelps
Is that a normal practice of his? Does he pick people up like that.
- [40:27]
How often does he do whenever someone is on the road, Whenever someone is broken down, someone just parks, he'll stop and see if he can help him. I got no problem if he picks up. I got no problem to picks up somebody who I know. I gotta probably pick up somebody that I know, you know. I said, you don't know anymore. And I don't care if it's just me and him. I said, that's fine. Our kids are with us. I don't want him stopping for anybody, but he'll do that.
- [41:04]
Have you noticed any. Does your husband have any personal personality conflicts within himself? I know he had that accident. Has that affected any.
- [41:14]
You haven't seen any vast change of personality that has happened since you met him? Did he switch his personalities or anything like that?
- [41:24]
He ever been violent towards him? Never has. No. He was pretty even keeled. Yeah.
- [41:33]
One of the things that we noticed about him on research is we had saying a problem going through the wallet type thing with the papers and dropped them in lap, you know. I said I knew he was going to do that. And then we was gathering up some of the duct tape.
- [41:52]
And we got seven maps. I put the Bella Vista old maps to the new ones and two Arkansas state maps. Got mad, he said, started pissing me off.
- [42:07]
We thought it was one evil killed person. And joking with us and everything. And being cooperative too. Getting upset and possibly violent. Not only are violent, but you will piss him off.
- [42:22]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
That last comment bears repeating. Violent only if you pissed him off.
- [42:31]
Spoken like someone who I'd imagine may have experienced that violence firsthand. And then this.
- [42:41]
M. William Phelps
Does he hold it in or does he let it out?
- [42:46]
Let me ask you kind of another personal question. Jimmy's sexual fantasies. Kinky sex?
- [42:55]
No, nothing like that.
- [42:58]
What Danny's asking, is he ever implicated or let you know he wanted to use some type of restraint on you or on him.
- [43:09]
Like rope or being tied up? No, I told breathing to that he can go somewhere else. Has he ever implied that he wanted to do that? No.
- [43:21]
He just says those kind of people are good for you.
- [43:24]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
They asked her about Dana's murder specifically.
- [43:27]
M. William Phelps
Is there anyone you know well enough that you feel is above suspicion, would not do something like this? Totally. You don't think you would?
- [43:37]
Why? I don't want to explain.
- [43:40]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
I had to stop and think about that a moment while studying this interview tape. Here was a wife who believed her husband was capable of committing murder.
- [43:50]
M. William Phelps
Let me. Let me go back at this point. We've thrown a lot of stuff at you here today. And quite honestly, you're taking it pretty good. I mean, you're taking everything in stride. You're realizing what we're, we're doing here. Some of those things talked about. Have they raised any concerns with you or have they shocked you or surprised you or. I don't let anything shock or surprise me anymore. I've run around with a lot of people, strange people, different people. So, you know, if someone said my mother in law shot somebody, it's not going to surprise me because.
- [44:26]
Anybody is capable of anything.
- [44:29]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
After reading the transcript of Lenny's second interview, listening to his ex wife's interview and also speaking with her myself, I expected the BCSO to bring him in on an arrest warrant at that time. But instead they asked him to take a polygraph, which took an additional two years to get done. After those two interviews, the BCSO conducted the search warrant of his house and a second vehicle. And well, what they found beyond those bindings and cables prosecutor Drew Miller mentioned at the end of the previous episode seemed not only enough to arrest him, but guarantee a conviction. As they began searching his house, Detective Danny Varner pulled Lenny's wife aside and spoke to her again. And she says this quote.
- [45:23]
One night recently when the TV news showed one of the female murder victims, he lowered his head and got sick. A detail I want you to remember. Moving ahead, all of that you just heard focused on Lenny's second wife. His first wife was no longer able to speak to law enforcement about him.
- [45:46]
Brandon Howard
His first wife, I mean, he probably destroyed her life, honestly. She got with him early in college and he just basically abused her emotionally, probably physically, and then even more so after his accident. And she did kill herself shortly after DCSO detectives spoke with her. I think probably she was at a breaking point. She'd already tried committing suicide before that, but I think it was in her home in a bad subsetting. I spoke to her daughter too, and I think she said something along the lines of, you know, that last interview was probably too rough. I mean, it's just she's having to relive probably some of the worst times of her life.
- [46:24]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
That's journalist Brandon Howard. I asked him what he thought about Lenny's second interview.
- [46:30]
Brandon Howard
He has some bizarre outbursts, specifically when they're talking about truck and a truck tag and he kind of just breaks out that he doesn't know anything about Dana's homicide or her murder. And they're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, we're not saying you did, man.
- [46:42]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
And the one thing you said to me Was the one thing that has always bugged you is how would he know about this spot? I was referring to Oscar Talley Road, which where Shawna Garber's body was dumped. If Lenny was involved, there would have to be a link beyond him traveling through the area. It's clear. And investigators believe that Shawna's murderer had a direct tie to the place where she was found.
- [47:10]
Brandon Howard
When they went to his home, they found several bindings that appeared to match.
- [47:17]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Brandon had spent years investigating Lenny. Like me, he couldn't understand why the BCSO had not arrested Lenny after his second interview and the subsequent searches.
- [47:30]
So they get a search warrant for his house and his vehicles. And just talk to me a little bit about some of the forensic evidence that they find.
- [47:40]
Brandon Howard
Yeah, the forensic stuff. They found several hairs in a vehicle he owned that he sold to a neighbor, along with evidence of blood cleanup throughout the vehicle. The hairs and blood were found pretty much all over the steering wheel, rearview mirror, floorboards, cargo area, outside doors. I think what complicated that was that the previous owner had a similar makeup to Dana in terms of complexion and maybe hair. He also cut himself when he tried to open the door because the door was locked when sold it to him. However, I still think that it's worth pursuing what happened to those hairs because they had what the crime lab stated was microscopic similarities to Dana's hair, which is more than anything they had of any other hair sample from any other suspect or suspect's vehicle. To add to that, the blood found in the station wagon's floorboard on the passenger side seemingly is a pool of blood. It's a jarring photo. DCSO took a photo of his station wagon and the blood seemingly in the picture is jarring. It seems like there's a pool of it in the front seat. And they told me there's no way he can account for that much blood based off cutting his hand.
- [48:53]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
And so what are your thoughts on this guy being responsible for Dana and or Shawna Garber?
- [49:01]
Brandon Howard
I think he did not get fully vetted in either case. There's other things that stand out when they searched his home involving interviews with family saying that he had a pension for bondage and sexual relations. And there was a videotape with seemingly rape and bondage on the tape. It's not clear if it was pornographic or if it was personal tape or who was on the tape or why he had it. There was no follow up interview. And after the houses were searched, as far as I know, his interview specifically regarding the situm case is all over the place, seemingly admitting that he pulls over women from the grocery store where she worked, that he doesn't know Dana, that he does know Dana, that he could have pulled her over for having a low tire, which she did have a low tire.
- [49:54]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
It was getting harder to connect Dana and Shawna to or one specific suspect. I was feeling confident the two cases were the work of two different killers. I asked Detective Rhonda Wise from the McDonald County Sheriff's Office what she thought.
- [50:12]
M. William Phelps
I think the biggest thing from a law enforcement standpoint, you know, is that we work these things. And both of these cases, I would be safe to say, will continue to be worked on until there is a solution. But I think the biggest thing is just to be able to find the answers and to bring closure for that family.
- [50:31]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Here's Detective Lori Howard.
- [50:34]
Brandon Howard
People.
- [50:35]
M. William Phelps
People say.
- [50:38]
They have to be connected. They may be connected, but I think they. I think people also. This is the scariest thing in the world to say. They underestimate how many bad guys there are. You have to keep an open mind. I say they're not connected. Show me evidence, I'll change my mind. But that's the goal. But we're always open. I think that's. That's the beauty of this particular agency in particular is we're always open to take a different mindset on something.
- [51:05]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
And McDonald County Sheriff Rob Evenson.
- [51:09]
M. William Phelps
When a person does something like this, they're gonna. They're gonna answer for it if. If not in this life, in the next. But they.
- [51:17]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Whoever did this to Shawna owes a.
- [51:18]
M. William Phelps
Debt to the state of Missouri. And when I tell you I don't believe they're connected, that doesn't mean that my mind couldn't be changed. We serve our community, so you have to make a judgment call on how do you best serve your community. Do you put hours and hours into something that's old and cold, or do you work these more recent cases that are solvable so you can take care of people here and now? In the moment.
- [51:43]
We do good to solve the ones that we're working with today.
- [51:46]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
After having some trouble pinning Jack Lenny down at his home during the early summer of 2023, I started trying to get hold of him on the phone. I made an early decision that I wasn't going to take his smarmy, sarcastic bullshit on the chin. He needed to be called out on all of the evidence pointing to directly at him. He had obviously not been charged in either Dana or Shawna's case for months. I got nothing but Wrong numbers. Dial tone and silence. Then one morning in early December 2023, I dialed a new number.
- [52:32]
And there he was. Hello? Looking for.
- [52:38]
Brandon Howard
You.
- [52:39]
M. William Phelps
Got him. What do you want?
- [52:41]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
It was the beginning of what would turn out to be an eye popping, bizarre, revealing 45 minute call, resulting in me right afterward contacting a detective working one of the cases.
- [52:56]
My name is M. William Phelps. I'm an investigative journalist recording this call for my podcast. I'd like to ask you some questions.
- [53:06]
Drew Miller
What?
- [53:07]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
I said my name is M. William Phelps. I'm an investigative journalist working on two cold cases. Recording this for my podcast, Paper Ghosts. Like to talk to you about some things.
- [53:23]
M. William Phelps
What do you want?
- [53:24]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Well, I'd like to talk to you about the murder of Dana Stidham.
- [53:29]
M. William Phelps
With what?
- [53:31]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Dana Stidham's murder?
- [53:33]
M. William Phelps
I don't know. I have no earthly idea. I thought that was all done.
- [53:41]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
He knew exactly what I was referring to. That's not true.
- [53:47]
M. William Phelps
It's been so long ago.
- [53:50]
I don't even think about it.
- [53:51]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
But you were there on the day she went missing at the Phillips grocery. Could you talk to me about July 25, 1989?
- [54:02]
Did you kill Dana Stidham?
- [54:08]
There's a lot of people, including me, who think you did.
- [54:25]
If you want to take a deeper dive into some of the subjects covered in this episode and get real time updates on the cases I cover in Paper Ghosts, subscribe to my ongoing weekly show, Crossing the Line with M. William Phelps. Wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Next time on Paper Ghosts and everybody.
- [54:46]
M. William Phelps
That has ever known him. And I'm going to be one of those people. He was evil. He was pure evil.
- [54:52]
Brandon Howard
And so one of the things important.
- [54:54]
Drew Miller
Is there could be someone listening who knows something.
- [54:57]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Oftentimes in cases like this, it can be small things that make the difference. It can be a small key that unlocks a door to an avenue that.
- [55:05]
Drew Miller
No one knew was there.
- [55:07]
M. William Phelps
He also told me that the same person who killed Dana killed my girl. He referred to Shawna as my girl. Then he just reminds me again that he is a killer. And he never once told me that he wasn't a killer.
- [55:21]
Narrator / Investigative Journalist
One note about sourcing the call you heard at the top of this episode was a word for word reenactment taken directly from a transcript of the actual call. Paper Ghost Season 4 is written and executive produced by me and William Fellow, script consulting by Rose Bacci, sound design by Matt Russell, executive production by Kathryn Law, and audio editing and mixing by Brandon Dickard, Takaboom Productions. The Series theme number 442 is written and performed by Thomas Phelps and Tom Mo.
- [56:04]
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M. William Phelps
This is where mindset comes in.
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Narrator / Investigative Journalist
Watch it on prime video starting January 8th.
- [56:35]
Brandon Howard
Shh.
- [56:36]
M. William Phelps
You won't believe what my new friend.
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- [57:34]
M. William Phelps
This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.