Park Predators — "The Researcher"
Host: Delia D’Ambra
Release Date: December 30, 2025
Podcast Theme: Investigative journalist Delia D’Ambra uncovers the hidden, often sinister stories behind crimes set amid nature’s most beautiful locations.
Episode Overview
In this haunting episode, Delia D’Ambra explores the unsolved 1977 murder of 22-year-old forestry graduate student Julieann Cohen within the serene but isolating Austin Carey Memorial Forest at the University of Florida. Delia meticulously lays out the facts and speculations, highlighting the chilling contrast between the forest’s tranquil beauty and the darkness concealed within. With compassion and clarity, she delves into Julie's background, the timeline of her disappearance and murder, the investigation’s dead ends and suspects, and the enduring impact on those left behind. Delia’s goal: to breathe new life into a cold case that has remained shrouded in mystery for almost 50 years.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Scene & Introduction to the Victim
[02:01 – 04:01]
- Location: Austin Carey Memorial Forest, a university-owned teaching and research site in Gainesville, Florida, characterized by its mix of dense marsh and woodland.
- Victim: Julieann "Julie" Cohen, age 22, a pioneering female graduate student dedicated to forestry research, described as driven, intelligent, and compassionate.
- The Incident: Julie went missing on February 28, 1977, and her body was discovered the next morning.
Quote:
"In my opinion, it might be the very makeup of the landscape itself—a dense combination of marsh and forest—that gave cover to the predator or predators who stole the life of a young woman there in 1977."
— Delia D’Ambra [02:56]
2. Discovery of the Crime
[04:01 – 11:55]
- Julie's roommate and friends first notice her absence and try to locate her, leading to the grim discovery in the forest.
- Julie's body was found by her friend Jim Emmons, naked from the waist down, strangled with an article of her own clothing, with evidence she had been dragged.
- Key physical evidence: her keys and bag abandoned nearby, a single shoe print, and her car found two miles from the forest’s entrance.
Quote:
"According to the coverage, Jim had stumbled upon Julie's body—she was naked from the waist down, and it was clear she was dead. She had a piece of clothing wrapped around her neck..."
— Delia D’Ambra [06:10]
- The area wasn't remote; Waldo Road was busy, and the vicinity was sometimes used by groups of forestry students—even at the likely time of the murder.
3. Investigation & Timeline
[11:55 – 13:47]
- Police cordon off the crime scene, canvass hundreds of people, but face challenges due to the era’s lack of surveillance and limited technology.
- Autopsy confirms strangulation; no clear evidence of sexual assault.
- Timeline: Julie left her apartment around 3:30pm for research in the forest; planned to attend a 7pm seminar she never reached. Authorities narrow her time of death to roughly 4:00–5:00pm.
Quote:
"Investigators later told the press they suspected the specific window of time the murder happened was somewhere between 4pm and 5pm, maybe even 4:15 to 4:45pm..."
— Delia D’Ambra [11:17]
- Focus initially falls on Julie’s boyfriend, Eric Flagg, who provides an alibi (working in Georgia). Both Eric and other close acquaintances are cleared as suspects.
4. Leads, Witnesses, and Dead Ends
[13:47 – 20:55]
- Investigators publicized two persons of interest:
- A man on a dark motorcycle seen near Julie’s car.
- A second man in a blue sedan or station wagon, wearing army fatigues, spotted climbing a fence in the area.
- Despite alerts and widespread reporting, neither man is ever identified.
- Detectives’ fears rise that the killer may strike again, mirroring other unsolved coed murders in 1970s Florida.
- Anxieties among students mount; the forestry department later bans women from working alone in the forest.
Quote:
"If Julie’s killer or killers weren’t caught, they might strike again. And when you back out and take a 30,000 foot view of other young coed killings that occurred in Florida in the 1970s, authorities’ concern that they could be dealing with a repeat offender wasn’t unfounded."
— Delia D’Ambra [19:46]
5. The Serial Killer Theory: Gerald Eugene Stano
[21:33 – 25:00]
- Delia draws attention to Gerald Eugene Stano, a prolific serial killer in Florida during the 1970s–1980s, who targeted young women (including in Gainesville).
- Stano’s known methods and victimology bear striking similarities to Julie’s case—strangulation, remote wooded locations, spur-of-the-moment attacks.
- No public records confirm Stano was investigated for Julie’s murder; he died by execution in 1998, so unanswered questions remain.
Quote:
"Basically, it seems like that whenever he saw a young woman who looked vulnerable, he would just attack... He also matched the broad description of the unknown men who'd been seen around Waldo Road when Julie was murdered."
— Delia D’Ambra [24:15]
6. Aftermath, Legacy, and Unresolved Questions
[25:00 – End]
- The emotionally devastating impact on Julie’s friends, family, and academic community is detailed.
- Julie’s boyfriend resolved to complete her research project as a tribute.
- Changes on campus: new rules for female researchers, a lasting sense of unease.
- Julie is remembered as a "glue" within her family and community, ambitious and full of kindness.
- Delia shares a moving, anonymous memorial letter from friends published after Julie's death, urging listeners to appreciate loved ones while they’re alive.
Quote:
"We only hope by printing this letter that others will appreciate their living friends more. No longer will our friend Julie visit us. The echo of her smile hangs heavy and empty in our house. We grieve her loss, yet rue ourselves. For now, Julie will never know our feelings for her. We wish we had told her before she left."
— Anonymous memorial letter [28:24]
- The case remains cold, still officially open with University of Florida Police. Delia encourages anyone with information to come forward.
Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes
-
On the vulnerability presented by nature:
"Sometimes, the most beautiful places hide the darkest secrets."
— Delia D’Ambra [02:30] -
On suspicion and trust:
"One investigator told the press he suspected whoever had encountered the 22 year old likely hadn’t come off as threatening or dangerous—and Julie might have trusted them."
— Delia D’Ambra [14:59] -
On the legacy of victims:
"From what I've read about her, she loved nature, both as a researcher and a recreationalist. She rode horses and was into photography and was described as adventurous and committed to everything she did."
— Delia D’Ambra [26:50]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [02:01] — Introduction, Austin Carey Memorial Forest, and Julieann Cohen
- [04:01] — Julie’s Disappearance and Search
- [06:10] — Discovery of Julie’s Body
- [11:17] — Timeline and Early Investigation
- [13:47] — Julie’s Boyfriend’s Alibi and Investigation Details
- [18:10] — Person-of-Interest Descriptions
- [21:33] — Serial Killer Theory: Gerald Eugene Stano’s Possible Connection
- [26:50] — Julie’s Legacy, Emotional Memorial Highlight, and Call to Action
Conclusion
Delia D’Ambra’s episode on Julieann Cohen’s unsolved murder is a meticulously researched, sensitive narrative that honors Julie’s life and enduring mystery, both as a scientist and as a victim. The episode resonates with sadness over the lack of closure, frustration at the lack of leads, and hope that renewed attention might finally bring justice. It’s a haunting reminder of lost potential and the shrouded threats beneath nature’s surface.
If you have any information about the homicide of Julieann Cohen, contact the University of Florida Police Department at 352-392-1111 or use their Silent Witness portal.