Small Town Murder – Episode Summary

Podcast: Small Town Murder
Title: Panty Sniffing Wife Killer – Greeley, Colorado
Hosts: James Pietragallo & Jimmie Whisman
Date: January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the life, crimes, and eventual conviction of John Sandoval, a serial Peeping Tom and sexual deviant from Greeley, Colorado, who murdered his wife, Tina Sandoval, in 1995. The hosts mix thorough research with their signature comedic style to walk listeners through the small town’s history, the endless missteps of local law enforcement, and the escalation of John’s criminal behavior. The resolution of the case is both haunting and bizarre, involving years of failed leads and ultimately turning on evidence the police had missed for years.

Key Discussion Points & Timeline

Greeley, Colorado: A (Mostly) Friendly Place

[05:16–19:33]

• Brief history: Founded as a temperance, religious, utopian farming colony.
• Area grew rapidly due to Denver’s expensive housing.
• Reviews swing from cozy and safe to “drug-ridden,” and the crime rate is above national average for property crime but below average for violent crime.

Meet Tina and John Sandoval

[19:56–39:44]

• Tina (born 1972 in Indiana): Bright, high-achieving, social, and aiming for a nursing degree.
• John: Older than Tina, meets her at Ames Community College; introduces her to a world very different from her own sheltered upbringing.
• Family likes John (at first), and the couple marries young despite red flags—including warnings from John’s ex-wife Renee.

John Sandoval’s Troubled Past

[39:44–105:24]

• John’s upbringing: Neglectful, boundary-less, with parents who alternately coddled or abandoned him.
• Criminal behavior begins in adolescence: Burglaries, peeping, trespassing, and public indecency.
• Frequent run-ins with Greeley police, who suspect but can’t quite nail him for escalating crimes.
• Family often blames the police or racism for John being “targeted.”

Memorable Quote:
“John’s mother and his family would back them up, claiming that the police were out to get him.” – James [55:56]

Accelerating Escalation, Stalking, and Sex Crimes

[73:34–118:22]

• John’s deviant behavior intensifies; he admits to his cousin Jesse about raping unconscious co-eds ([73:34–73:49]).
• Dating relationships are obsessive and controlling.
• Pattern: Breakups trigger violence or revenge (e.g., killing a girlfriend’s dog).
• The moniker "the Panty Sniffer" is born, as Tina moves from defending John to deciding she’ll leave him ([117:07–118:57]).

Memorable Moment:
“She now nicknamed him…the ‘panty sniffer’, which is not as cool of a name.” – James [117:10]

The Crime and Disappearance

[118:57–130:00]

• August 1995: Tina tells John she wants a divorce and moves out at age 23.
• October 19, 1995: Tina goes to John’s house to finalize divorce papers and vanishes.
• Her car is found abandoned near John’s house, with personal items left inside.
• Police, wary due to John’s history, immediately suspect foul play and focus on him.

Quote:
“We immediately sprung into action because of John’s past…we knew they were in a divorce, and by that in itself, with the domestic violence issues as they can be, we immediately suspected him.” – Lt. Brad Goldschmidt [120:48]

The (Botched) Investigation

[130:00–165:16]

• Police search gravel pits, cemeteries, and lakes, following dozens of psychic and secondhand tips, all fruitless.
• Tina’s family leads their own search, frustrated by the lack of progress.
• In an endless cycle of rumors, psychics, and jailhouse tales, the case grows cold.
• Police miss a critical piece—the presence of Tina’s credit cards in John’s bathroom for years.

Memorable Moment:
“No one had found that in 1995. No one had seen the credit card. That’s a perfect example of why you keep going back.” – James [168:29]

The Break in the Case & Justice

[165:16–188:22]

• 2009: Fresh eyes on the case. New DA reviews the record, discovers the missed credit cards.
• John is arrested in Las Vegas—police find creepy evidence of obsession (e.g., portraits and wedding albums of Tina, hundreds of videotapes, stalking victims in Vegas).
• At trial, the lack of a body is a centerpoint of the defense (“No body, no crime”).
• John is convicted of first-degree murder, but the conviction is later overturned on appeal.
• Facing a retrial, John cuts a deal in 2016: He pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder and reveals where he buried Tina.

Finding Tina

[188:22–190:08]

• John confesses: He buried Tina beneath a preexisting grave at Sunset Memorial Gardens, in a concrete vault before a funeral was held—explaining why searches missed her for over a decade.
• Tina is finally laid to rest by her family.

Memorable Quote:
“He dug two feet below the open grave and buried the body there…The afternoon burial continued as planned. And she was under the vault.” – James [188:36]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Greeley’s Stampede
  “American bullfighting, a parade and fireworks, followed by a demolition derby.” – James [17:11]
• On John being a master manipulator:
  “He convinced Tina, a smart woman from a good family, that he was a good guy.” – James [129:15]
• On the fatal flaw of missing credit cards:
  “She had her credit cards three days before, and she hadn’t been in any contact with John for 30 days.” – James [168:08]

Timeline of Important Segments and Timestamps

• Greeley Town Deep Dive: [05:16–16:09]
• Tina’s Background: [19:56–39:44]
• John Sandoval’s Early Crimes: [39:44–73:14]
• Escalation into Harassment and Violence: [73:14–118:00]
• Divorce and Tina’s Disappearance: [118:22–130:00]
• Police and Psychic Shenanigans: [130:00–165:16]
• Break in the Case – Vegas Arrest: [165:16–175:14]
• Conviction, Overturn, Plea, and Body Found: [186:41–190:08]

Episode Takeaway

This chilling account exposes how dangerous red flags can be missed or ignored, and how tireless (and often tragic) the search for justice can be, especially when criminal behavior escalates over decades. The “panty sniffing wife killer” was hiding in plain sight for years, enabled by a mixture of personal manipulation, institutional failures, and one of the most bizarre body-hiding schemes ever seen in true crime.

The episode is equal parts a lesson in criminal pathology, a study of small-town law enforcement fumbles, and a showcase for the expert, comedic banter of Pietragallo and Whisman.

Book Referenced:
“In Tina’s Shadow: A True Story of Murder, a Husband’s Guilt, and a Family’s 14-Year Vigil for Justice” by Sharon R. Dunn

Summary by Small Town Murder Summarizer – For true crime fans, comedy devotees, and anyone left wondering if Greeley is safe to visit.