Proof: A True Crime Podcast

Season 3 – Murder at the Bike Shop

Episode 7: In Cold Blood

Release Date: March 2, 2026
Hosts: Susan Simpson & Jacinda Davis

Overview

In Episode 7, "In Cold Blood," Susan Simpson and Jacinda Davis dig deeper into the 1988 killing of Earl O’Byrne, owner of the Kalamazoo bike shop. This installment centers on overlooked and alternate suspects, investigative missteps, and the failures of the original inquiry. The team retraces the steps of local witnesses, seeks out elusive persons of interest, and examines the controversial handling of both witness testimony and physical evidence in the case. As the investigation spirals out to intersect with other unsolved crimes in Kalamazoo, including the high-profile Polderman triple homicide, listeners are immersed in webs of suspicion, local rumor, and unresolved trauma.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Revisiting Alternate Suspects: James Long

• James Long, Earl’s longtime employee, becomes central when files reveal he was never thoroughly investigated.
• Long worked for Earl since age 14 and was close enough that Earl would have trusted him, a crucial detail given crime scene evidence of a locked door and unbloodied key ring.
• The only people with their own keys were James Long, Lori Scott, and Karen Raymond.
• Witnesses (Karen and Lori) describe Long as distinctly blonde—the same description given of the man seen near the shop on the night of the murder (by Officer Harold Wess).

“He was blonde all the entire time? Like. No. Fake. No, he was blonde.”
—Karen Raymond, [12:00]

• James Long’s reaction to the discovery of the body struck Lori Scott as strange—he “did not act surprised” and, despite being first inside with Lori, had little to say ([20:58]).
• Lori always wondered privately if Long "could have done this," but never told police directly ([21:21]).

2. Interconnectedness of Local Crimes & Personalities

• The investigation spins off into parallels with the Polderman murders—a notorious 1990s triple homicide in the same region, marked by inconsistent confessions and lack of physical evidence.
• Richard Vendeville: A cold case informant and at one point a prime suspect in the Polderman case. His journey from informant to accused and back exposes questionable practices in local law enforcement.
• Vendeville claims Detective Mike Werkema of the cold case unit was caught “planting/tampering with evidence” and that prosecutors suppressed this information ([48:00]).
• Physical evidence from both cases (unidentified size 10.5 boot prints, unknown DNA/fingerprints) doesn’t match those convicted.

3. The Elusive Allen Nutter

• Allen Nutter, long considered an alternate suspect, proved nearly impossible for the hosts to locate in present-day Kalamazoo, though they encountered many locals who’d recently seen him.
• Renee, Nutter’s former girlfriend, describes him as “tall…yellow blonde” and denies ever providing a false alibi. She insists: “No, no. That man was a human that was beaten to death. There’s no way I would protect [Nutter]” ([33:09]).
• Tips from 1988 had pegged Nutter as the culprit, often referencing “his girlfriend”—but Renee suspects it could have been another, Trudy, whose tan Chevy Celebrity also matches the vehicle description ([36:53]).

4. Failures and Gaps in the Police Investigation

• Both Karen Raymond and Lori Scott suspect police failed to investigate James Long fully, despite both having pointed to him as someone to scrutinize.
• Polygraph tests cleared Long, but physical and circumstantial evidence suggested he should have remained a suspect.
• The willingness of witnesses like Karen and Lori to speak out decades later highlights the case’s unresolved dimensions.

5. The Polderman Homicide Parallels

• Comparison between the bike shop killing and the Polderman murders points to similarities in method, lack of ransacking, and thin evidence tying suspects to the scene.
• Only a single set of footprints—a Caterpillar brand, size 10.5—was found in the Polderman case, echoing “unknown prints” in the bike shop case.
• Multiple suspects in the Polderman case confessed under duress, and all but one quickly recanted; nevertheless, five people were convicted, despite no DNA, fingerprint, or corroborative physical evidence linking them to the murders ([42:56]-[44:31]).

6. Investigative Dead-ends & New Leads

• The team’s search for Long and Nutter continues, now with added hope: both may have relocated to Alabama.
• As Vendeville hints at “a lot of terrible shit” and corruption, the investigative trail now includes scrutinizing old police files, cold case team conduct, and contradictory witness accounts.
• The podcast crew plans further trips to pursue these elusive connections and accountability within the justice system.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On investigative risks:
  “Working with media is a huge risk for any defendant.”
  —Susan Simpson [00:49]

• On the mystery of the keys:
  “There’s no blood on his key ring, and his hands were caked with blood. That would mean...someone else with their own set of keys could have committed this murder, since they were able to lock up after themselves when they left.”
  —Susan, Jacinda [03:54-04:57]

• On confronting dangerous realities:
  “I just wanted to say, be careful...some of them are harmless, but some of them are very, very dangerous, too, and some crazy shit could pop off.”
  —Witness [09:38-09:59]

• On James Long’s demeanor at the scene:
  “He didn’t act surprised. I mean, I was a wreck. He didn’t act surprised. So I’m not accusing anybody. I’m just saying he did not act surprised.”
  —Lori Scott [20:58]

• On the Polderman case’s absurdity:
  “If five kids like that broke into a house at noon, I mean, and got away with it that cleanly...how many people stopped for flowers and didn’t see something?”
  —Susan, Virginia [44:19-44:31]

• On changed police focus:
  “The cold case team changed their mind...concluded [Vendeville] was innocent...the five defendants had conspired together to frame Vendeville for the murders.”
  —Jacinda [46:13]

• On conspiracy theories and justice:
  “Vendeville’s talk of a grand conspiracy had caught my attention. After all, who doesn’t love a good conspiracy theory?”
  —Susan [49:24]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Alternate suspect James Long’s background & key evidence:
  [02:49] – [07:30]; [10:55] – [14:30]; [19:09] – [24:55]

• Witness interviews recounting the day of the murder & Long’s odd behavior:
  [19:09] – [24:55]

• Allen Nutter, Renee, and the search for the elusive alternate suspect:
  [27:11] – [38:01]

• Polderman family triple homicide – recounting the crime, crime scene, and investigative mishandling:
  [39:25] – [57:34]

• Richard Vendeville’s story: from informant to suspect, claims of evidence tampering, and critique of Kzoo cold case team:
  [45:12] – [50:27]; [60:09] – [60:55]

Tone & Narrative Style

• The episode is analytical, methodical, and at times, conversationally wry—with Susan and Jacinda balancing empathy for victims, skepticism toward official narratives, and concern for those wrongly accused. Flashes of humor (especially in recounting their comically frustrated attempts to find Nutter) lighten moments of tension, but the prevailing mood is dogged determination and moral seriousness.
• The hosts’ direct, colloquial style draws listeners into the investigative process—they check in with each other, reflect on small, telling details, and share their evolving thoughts and suspicions. The use of first-person narrative and actual witness/participant voices brings immediacy and authenticity.

Next Steps & Teased Developments

• Susan and Jacinda prepare to head to Alabama to speak with James Long and Scott’s ex-girlfriend Stacey—possibly opening new avenues in both the bike shop and broader Kalamazoo investigations.
• The episode closes with hints of further revelations from Vendeville, continued scrutiny of police conduct, and the possibility of overturning yet another wrongful conviction.

For listeners and true crime followers, Episode 7 sharply illustrates both the intricacy and the peril of cold case investigations—where memory, rumor, and evidence twist together, and where the search for truth needs relentless curiosity and compassion.