Podcast Summary: Scams, Money, & Murder

Episode: Brewing Empire Heir Ransomed: Adolph Coors III Pt. 2
Date: November 20, 2025
Hosts: Vanessa Richardson & Carter Roy
Source: Crime House Original (PAVE Studios)

Episode Overview

This episode continues the story of the infamous 1960 kidnapping and murder of Adolph Coors III, heir to the Coors Brewing Company empire. Hosts Vanessa Richardson and Carter Roy guide listeners through the aftermath of his disappearance, the feverish manhunt led by the FBI (dubbed the biggest since the Lindbergh baby case), and the eventual pursuit and capture of suspect Joseph Corbett Jr. This narrative exposes how greed, opportunity, and betrayal collided in a single, devastating crime, irrevocably altering the lives of both victim and perpetrator.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disappearance and Early Investigation

Timestamp: 05:29–12:00

• Background: By 1960, Adolph Coors III (“AD”), CEO of Coors Brewing Co., had secured his dream life on a ranch near Morrison, Colorado.
• Event: On February 9, 1960, AD fails to show up at work; his car is found abandoned on Turkey Creek Bridge with his lucky baseball cap, an unknown fedora, tire tracks, and blood at the scene.
• Family Reaction: The family is devastated, especially AD’s wife, Mary, forced to comfort their four children with little hope.
  • Quote (Carter Roy, 07:41): "Mary tried to assure them everything would be okay, but her words rang hollow. The truth was, they might never see their father again."
• Discovery: Blood evidence at the scene, but due to poor recordkeeping, it couldn't be immediately confirmed as AD's.
• Ransom Note: The following day, a ransom note demanding $500,000 (over $5.5 million today) arrives, with strict instructions and a warning to avoid law enforcement.
• Tension: Despite the ransom note’s warning, the FBI becomes deeply involved, and the Coors brothers run the brewery as if nothing had happened to prevent panic among staff.
• Eyewitness Clues: Neighbors recall strange noises and a yellow 1951 Mercury loitering in the area. Investigators begin the search for this vehicle.

2. The FBI Zeroes in on a Suspect

Timestamp: 12:00–18:19

• Suspect Unveiled: Investigators find the Mercury registered to “Walter Osborne,” who mysteriously vacated his Denver apartment the day after the abduction.
  • Evidence: Partially burned handcuff boxes, a chain hidden in a paint bucket, and a single fingerprint become major clues.
• Vehicle Found: The suspect vehicle is discovered, torched, in Atlantic City, linking Osborne to the case through the car’s serial number.

3. Joseph Corbett Jr.: The "Mystery Boy"

Timestamp: 18:19–27:08

• Identity Revealed: The fingerprint links “Walter Osborne” to Joseph Corbett Jr., who’d escaped from a minimum security prison years prior.
  • Background: Corbett had killed before—admitting to the 1950 murder of a hitchhiker but claiming self-defense—and was diagnosed by psychiatrists as severely asocial and emotionally repressed.
  • Quote (Carter Roy, 21:40): "Joe was constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting to be caught and dragged back to prison. He knew he'd have to go far to outrun that feeling."
• Ransom Plan Failure: Coors’s father raises the ransom and follows instructions, but the kidnapper never follows up. Months pass with no new leads.
• FBI Manhunt: Corbett is placed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List. Over one million flyers and wide-scale media alerts are issued.

4. Evidence, Discovery, and Arrest

Timestamp: 28:04–33:50

• Break in the Case: Mud samples from the burned Mercury match those near AD's ranch, but the evidence remains circumstantial.
• A Tragic Find: In September 1960, a local discovers personal effects belonging to AD and later, skeletal remains in a ravine. Forensic analysis confirms identity and cause of death—two gunshot wounds to the back.
  • Quote (Carter Roy, 31:34): "After being exposed to the elements for so long, his remains were skeletal… the coroner determined the cause of death: shot twice in the back, probably at close range."
• Corbett’s Capture: The FBI traces Corbett to Canada using banking records and tips from a former coworker. He is arrested in Vancouver, October 29, 1960.
  • Quote (Carter Roy, 33:19): "After eight and a half months of searching, Joe Corbett Jr. was arrested in his rented room on October 29, 1960."

5. Prosecution, Conviction, and Aftermath

Timestamp: 33:50–37:00

• Prosecution’s Theory: The prosecution crafts a case that Corbett, desperate for money to escape his past, meticulously planned and executed the kidnapping and murder.
  • Timeline: Years of surveillance and planning culminate in a highway ambush when AD’s routine changes due to construction.
• Trial & Verdict: After 13 days of testimony, Corbett is convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
• Parole and Later Life: Changes in Colorado law make Corbett eligible for parole after ten years; he is released in 1980 and lives a quiet, reclusive life until his suicide in 2009.
• Family Fallout: The Coors family, shattered, cuts off Mary and her children. AD’s son, Adolph IV, eventually leaves the family business to forge his own path.
  • Quote (Carter Roy, 39:56): "With his untimely death, Ad gave his son a gift he'd never had—the freedom to choose his own path."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the burden of a legacy:
  "But Beer wasn't AD's dream ... If it were up to him, he'd be a rancher, spending his days outdoors riding and raising horses. But he had a legacy to live up to, and saying no wasn't an option." — Carter Roy [00:50]
• The cost of secrecy:
  "There wasn't even a memo passed around informing the staff that their CEO had been taken hostage the day before." — Carter Roy [09:15]
• On Corbett’s emotional landscape:
  "Joe was constantly looking over his shoulder, waiting to be caught and dragged back to prison. He knew he'd have to go far to outrun that feeling." — Carter Roy [21:40]
• The impact of loss:
  "Mary had never been particularly close to AD's parents, and it seemed like they took AD's absence as permission to distance themselves entirely, both emotionally and financially.” — Carter Roy [39:30]
• Freedom and generational change:
  "With his untimely death, Ed gave his son a gift he'd never had. The freedom to choose his own path." — Carter Roy [39:56]

Timeline of Key Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Description | Timestamps | |------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | The Disappearance | AD Coors III vanishes; evidence found at bridge | 05:29–12:00 | | The Investigation Begins | Ransom note, family reactions, early leads | 12:00–18:19 | | Corbett's Background | Suspect’s identity and troubled history | 18:19–27:08 | | Break in the Case | Murder evidence, body discovery, Canadian tip | 28:04–33:50 | | Arrest & Conviction | Capture, trial, verdict, and sentencing | 33:50–37:00 | | Aftermath | Parole, Coors family fallout, generational change | 37:00–41:50 |

Final Thoughts

The episode offers a sobering look at how greed and unresolved trauma intertwine, culminating in tragedy that ripples through generations. The hosts anchor the complex narrative in emotional moments, highlighting both the methodical pursuit of justice and personal devastations behind sensational headlines. In the end, the story underscores the limits of wealth and legacy when confronted by loss, grief, and the long shadow of violence.