Podcast Summary: The Burden – Death & Deceit in Alliance | 11. The Best Friend

Podcast: The Burden
Host: Orbit Media, Maggie Freleng
Episode: Death & Deceit in Alliance – 11. The Best Friend
Release Date: December 30, 2025

Overview

In this penultimate episode, Maggie Freleng and her team zero in on the testimony of Samantha Pegg, Joe Wilkes’ best friend at the time of Yvonne Layne’s 1999 murder. With primary suspect David Thorne still proclaiming innocence decades later, Maggie and the investigators explore whether Joe truly acted on his own or under David’s direction. What starts as a review of missed and muddied statements by Sam transforms into a tense, nuanced encounter—ultimately yielding a new bombshell about what Sam was told before the crime ever happened, and reigniting questions about David’s true role in Yvonne’s murder.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Revisiting the Suspects: Where the Investigation Stands

• Background Recap (02:22-04:18):
  • Yvonne Layne was murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home.
  • Joe Wilkes confessed to the killing, and implicated David Thorne as a mastermind.
  • The investigative team’s focus has returned to Joe, given failed leads and contradictory witness statements.
  • Host’s Position: “All roads lead back to Joe… Every time he speaks, his stories conflict. And I was sure he was over it.” (03:40)

Attempting to Reach Joe & Sam (05:00-08:04)

• Joe’s cooperation was uncertain, as he previously received a lighter sentence (parole in 30 years) for implicating David.
• Investigators shift to pursuing testimony from other key witnesses, especially Joe’s alleged confidante, Samantha Pegg.

The “Best Friend”: Samantha Pegg’s Role and Statement

• Sam as the Critical Link (08:21-09:59):
  • Sam was Joe’s best friend since school days; they shared a strong bond.
  • In a 1999 police interview, Sam claimed Joe confessed in her basement: “He had me kill his ex. Wife.”
  • She says she asked why. Joe: “Because you want to talk to the end of stairs.” (09:13-09:48)
  • Investigators express skepticism about the veracity of both Joe’s confession and Sam’s belief in it.

Tracking Down Sam: Reluctance & Conditions (12:56-13:53)

• After initial missed attempts, John and Danny finally confront Sam, who’s fatigued and defensive after years of scrutiny.
• Quote (Sam, 13:05):
  “Joe Wilkes and… Just doesn’t go away, does it?”
• Sam agrees to talk, but only if Joe gives explicit permission.

Sam’s Full Interview: New Insights (14:24-21:30)

• Sam’s Reluctance & Parents’ Involvement (14:57-15:02):

  • Her family mortgaged their house for legal defense, fearing Sam could be pressured as a co-conspirator.

• Sam’s Account (Joe’s Confession, 15:23-16:14):

  • “He said that he did do it, but she didn’t believe him.”
  • Sam describes Joe as too kind and sensitive, not capable of the murder, especially with kids present.
  • “Joe is kind hearted, he’s very sensitive. He would never do anything to hurt anybody else. And especially when we were going through the whole process… I knew right then and there Joe was not part of that.” (15:36-16:14)

• Police Pressure & Sam’s Alibi (16:27-18:51):

  • Sam says she wasn’t coerced or fed statements, had her lawyer present, and had an alibi (in Florida).
  • Quote:
    “I was in Florida actually the day it happened… I had a credit card receipt… That’s really what saved my ass.” (16:36)
  • Her lawyer sent her to Indiana for months to avoid further entanglement.

• Why Sam Downplayed Her Opinions (19:14):

  • She stuck to facts, didn’t editorialize to police or over-incriminate Joe.

Sam’s Bombshell Revelation (21:30-24:12)

• Joe Talked of David’s Role Months in Advance:

  • Sam: “I know David wanted him to… And I was under the impression that Dave was going to pay him to.”
  • “Did he tell you that David wanted him to do that?”
    “Yeah, he did… multiple times… Before it happened. Like months before.” (21:30-21:51)
  • For the first time, the idea emerges that Joe implicated David months ahead of Yvonne’s murder, not just afterward.

• Sam’s Feelings About David’s Involvement:

  • Sam: “Do you believe that David masterminded it, no matter whether Joe or not?”
    “I do. That’s my gut feeling. He wanted it, and I think he would just find the first person that would say yes to do it.” (23:28-24:12)
  • She also characterizes Joe as someone who looked up to David and may be easily manipulated.

The Investigation’s Dilemma: Now What?

• The team contemplates Sam’s credibility—she gains no benefit from implicating David.
• They note some of Sam’s factual errors (e.g., Yvonne and David’s relationship status) seem to reinforce her detachment from gossip and suggest her story isn’t rehearsed for investigators.
  • “So the fact that she remembers these details helped convince John and Danny that she’s telling the truth about what she remembers.” (24:30)

Next Steps: Preparing for the Joe Wilkes Prison Interview (26:11-30:38)

• Investigators strategize for their much-anticipated interview with Joe, discussing how to approach topics like his many conflicting stories, his relationship with David, and the knife evidence.
• Tactic:
  • Play “confused” to see if Joe narrates more, or corrects himself, and let him clarify contradictions on his own.
  • Intend to check consistency about whether he independently told Sam or if it was fed to him by police.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Sam Pegg on being weary:
  “I really don’t want to say anything… Because I’m tired of being dragged in the middle of it. You’re not in the middle of it. Oh, I have been for the last 22 years.” (13:07-13:21)
• On Joe’s nature:
  “Joe is kind hearted, he’s very sensitive. He would never do anything to hurt anybody else. And especially… the kids were in the home, I knew right then and there Joe was not part of that.” (15:36-16:14)
• Sam’s critical confession:
  “Did he tell you that David wanted him to do that?”
  “Yeah, he did… multiple times… Before it happened. Like months before.” (21:30-21:51)
• Sam’s “gut feeling” about David:
  “He wanted it, and I think he would just find the first person that would say yes to do it.” (24:12)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 01:30 – Recap of prior episodes, setting up Sam Pegg’s role
• 02:22-04:18 – Maggie explains their renewed focus on Joe and the difficulty in getting him to talk
• 08:21-09:59 – Police’s 1999 interview with Sam Pegg: Joe’s basement confession
• 13:05 – Investigators confront Sam; her frustrated response
• 14:24-16:14 – Full interview with Sam; parents' involvement; her disbelief in Joe’s guilt despite his confession
• 16:36-18:51 – Sam’s alibi and her lawyer’s preemptive moves
• 21:30-21:51 – Sam’s bombshell: Joe implicated David months in advance
• 23:28-24:12 – Sam’s “gut feeling” David orchestrated the murder
• 26:11-30:38 – Investigators prep for the Joe Wilkes prison interview

Conclusion & Episode Tone

The episode maintains a skeptical, emotionally honest, and doggedly investigative tone as Maggie and her team process a revelatory statement from Joe Wilkes’ best friend, Sam Pegg. Even as Sam maintains Joe's innocence, she doesn’t waver from her story that Joe told her—months before the murder—that David wanted Yvonne killed and offered to pay Joe. This introduces an entirely new timeline to the David-as-mastermind theory, muddying already troubled waters. The stakes are raised for their impending, high-pressure prison interview with Joe Wilkes…and the team, and listeners, are left with more questions than answers.

End of Episode Summary