Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders

Episode: "Oh My God... What Kind of Mess is This?"

Date: December 17, 2025
Host: M. William Phelps
Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode of Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders goes deeper into the 1983 execution-style murders of teenagers Shelly and Vincent in Weatherford, TX. Host and investigative journalist M. William Phelps, alongside private investigator Mel Mitchell, explores an alarming web of apparent investigative incompetence, corruption, lost evidence, and potential coverups that has shrouded the case for over 40 years. Anchored around newly surfaced autopsy reports, missing records, and potentially suppressed evidence, the episode scrutinizes how systemic failures and community fears have left the murders unsolved and many witnesses too frightened to come forward.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Suspicious Deaths and Pattern Recognition

(02:37–05:45)

• The episode opens with Phelps revisiting claims from his source, Alan Carter, about a series of suspicious teen deaths in Parker County that might link to the Shelly and Vincent murders.
• Mel Mitchell introduces the case of Jimmy Joe Hayes, whose suicide ruling was questionable: found hung with his hands and feet tied, and his dog shot—a scenario observers consider impossible to self-inflict.

  “I don’t know how I’m gonna tie my hands behind my back and my feet and then try to figure out how to hang myself. But, I mean, I don’t know, maybe a magician can.” —Mel Mitchell (04:37)

2. Investigative Incompetence and Possible Corruption

(05:45–11:30)

• Mel Mitchell notes the procedures of the 1980s placed critical decisions about cause of death in the hands of justices of the peace, not trained pathologists.
• The Weatherford PD’s ineffective investigation stands out starkly against their swift resolution of other murders at the same time.

  “It sounds to me like a clusterfuck. That's what it sounds like. This whole thing like from the moment they showed up at that scene, nobody did anything, right?” —William Phelps (06:18)

• Both Shelly and Vincent’s embalming reports are missing, despite records for other cases from 1983 being intact, raising suspicions of intentional cover-up.

3. Changing Law Enforcement Attitudes and The Record Gaps

(11:30–15:06)

• Chief Arnold (2017–2024) initially promised openness but later stopped communicating, a pattern among police officials involved.
• There’s uncertainty and avoidance regarding the details of Shelly’s injuries and the case status within the department.

  “Each time, it was the same scenario... from that point on, they ghosted me. That says a lot. After 40 plus years, what is there to hide?” —William Phelps (11:30)

• Even when officials acknowledged possible mistakes or rumors, they shifted responsibility, and compartmentalized information sharing.

4. Archival Tapes: Confirmation, Contradictions, and Vanished Evidence

(15:06–21:31)

• Phelps plays a 1980s interview with then-chief Elwood Hohertz:

  • Confirms Shelly had abrasions as if “dragged through a briar patch,” yet downplays severity (16:07).
  • Notes the car radio running and keys missing — details suggesting planned staging.
  • Mentions critical evidence (shell casings, used condom) was sent for testing but “can’t be found.”

  “Oh, my God. What kind of mess is this?” —Elwood Hohertz (20:39)

• Hohertz alleges the case became political, with local politicians and a district attorney directly intervening, possibly to suppress the investigation.

5. Community Fear and Witness Intimidation

(43:57–48:39)

• Mel and her team try to meet with witnesses in secret due to their real fears of harassment or being followed.

  “We wanted them to kind of meet each other and know that they’re, one, not alone... They felt like, you know, possibly they were being followed or, you know, anybody had called them and made them feel uncomfortable or possibly harassed.” —Mel Mitchell (44:57)

• Mel shares a firsthand account of being followed by a suspicious woman while en route to a confidential witness meeting.

6. Autopsy Report and the Infamous Medical Examiner

(25:30–33:26)

• A “mysterious” delivery in 2024 brings Shelly’s autopsy report to the family’s home.
• Autopsy documents are incomplete or intentionally vague, failing to detail multiple known injuries, and conducted by Dr. Nizam Pirwani—a controversial figure with a history of errors (and performing autopsies before his medical license was valid).
• The choice of Pirwani over the established Dallas ME adds another layer of suspicion.

  “59 errors in 27 cases... Pirwani’s co-medical examiner was later fired. This is not the guy you want to trust with two bodies in a double homicide.” —William Phelps (31:15)

7. Catastrophic Mishandling of Physical Evidence

(33:26–40:29)

• Confusion and contradiction over where critical evidence (including the car) was sent: Tarrant County Sheriff's, Fort Worth PD, or elsewhere.
• No forensic evidence (like fingerprinting), and the car itself—with a used condom inside—was returned to the family, unprocessed.

  “Can you imagine the car where two teenage murder victims were allegedly found not being processed? …Who the hell is running this investigation?” —William Phelps (37:43)

• Paperwork and physical evidence like the boot print trace went missing.

8. Ongoing Theories and Explored Motives

(50:19–53:51)

• Mel reports Shelly’s mother kept a hope chest with a news clipping, circled around two young men’s faces, suggesting possible suspects or significant parties.
• Vincent’s ex-girlfriend claimed she was told by police she might have been the intended target, witnessed attempts to stage the bodies, received a death threat, and believed police covered up for one of their own.
• Meth trade in the area is a recurring theme as a possible motive, with speculation teens saw something connected to the drug world.

9. Pattern of Suspicious Teenage Deaths

(57:05–58:46)

• Several friends and classmates of Shelly and Vincent died in car crashes or other suspicious circumstances in the months and years following the murder, reinforcing theories of a coordinated silencing of potential witnesses.

10. Focus on Suspects & Failed Polygraphs

(60:05–62:22)

• Alan Carter details the intense focus on two unnamed (censored) suspects by law enforcement, one of whom apparently failed a polygraph.

• Repeated insinuations remain unbacked by any forensic evidence or credible eyewitness statements.

  “They seen something they weren’t supposed to on Piss Hill… They saw something up there they weren’t supposed to see.” —Alan Carter (62:22)

• Phelps underscores the need for objectivity and warns against witch hunts driven by rumor and lacking evidence.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Oh, my God. What kind of mess is this? Oh, my God.”
  — Elwood Hohertz (20:39)
  (Episode’s title phrase; encapsulates the episode’s outrage and bewilderment at the investigative chaos.)

• “It’s either the most inept investigation ever or certain parties are playing dumb, hoping to deflect the obvious and muck up the investigation on purpose.”
  — William Phelps (39:49)

• “Jimmy Joe Hayes… hands tied behind his back, his feet tied up, and then his dog shot underneath his feet. Rule is suicide.” — Mel Mitchell (04:15)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:37 | Start of discussion on string of suspicious deaths—focus on possible connections between cases | | 04:15 | Jimmy Joe Hayes case—suspicious suicide ruling | | 06:18 | Acknowledgement of bungled 1980s investigative procedures | | 08:09 | Weatherford PD’s lack of progress and public posturing | | 10:28 | Embalming records for Shelly and Vincent missing | | 11:15 | Corruption suspicions rise with missing records | | 15:22 | 1980s interview with Chief Hohertz, confirming evidence mishandling | | 20:39 | “Oh, my God. What kind of mess is this?”—lost evidence and chaos | | 25:30 | Autopsy report delivery; new forensic findings questioned | | 31:15 | Exposé on Dr. Pirwani’s controversial background | | 33:51–40:29 | Extensive failures to process or keep track of evidence, mishandled car evidence | | 43:57 | Mel Mitchell recounts organizing secret support groups for frightened witnesses | | 44:57 | Witness intimidation events and Mel being followed by suspicious vehicle | | 50:19 | Connection between teenagers and meth trade; Shelly’s hope chest | | 60:05 | Alan Carter details police focus on two main suspects, failed polygraphs, and law enforcement bias | | 62:22 | Motive theories discussed (teens saw something they shouldn’t have) |

Conclusion & Takeaways

• The episode paints a grim and chaotic picture of the original investigation, suggesting at best extreme incompetence, and at worst, coordinated cover-up by authorities.
• Repeated loss and mishandling of crucial evidence, evasive official behavior, and community-wide fear have left the Shelly and Vincent case unresolved and clouded by rumor and suspicion.
• New evidence, like the elusive autopsy report, raises more questions than it answers.
• Societal dynamics, such as the meth trade and small-town power structures, continue to loom over the unsolved crime, supported by disturbing patterns of violence, death, and intimidation.
• The hosts promise continued pursuit of truth and renewed focus on the named and unnamed suspects, while warning listeners about the dangers of rumor and the complexity of local politics and law enforcement.

This summary covers the major substantive portions and key emotional beats of the episode, with explicit references, timestamps, and quotes to offer a vivid account that stands on its own for any reader.