Podcast Summary: The Deck – "REMEMBERING: Marjorie 'Christy' Luna (4 of Spades, Florida)"

Podcast: The Deck
Host: Ashley Flowers (Audiochuck)
Episode: REMEMBERING: Marjorie "Christy" Luna (4 of Spades, Florida)
Date: April 8, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Deck revisits the haunting case of Marjorie "Christy" Luna, an 8-year-old girl who vanished from Green Acres, Florida, on Memorial Day weekend in 1984. Over 40 years later, her disappearance remains unsolved. Through interviews with investigators, childhood friends, and new witnesses, host Ashley Flowers explores the trauma experienced by the community, the evolution of the investigation, and the ongoing fight for justice. The episode aims to expose new leads and keep Christy's story alive in hopes that someone listening may have the missing piece.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Day Christy Disappeared

• Setting: Green Acres was a tight-knit, idyllic Floridian community where children roamed freely. The safety of the neighborhood masked a darkness beneath the surface.
• Timeline: On May 27, 1984 (Memorial Day weekend), Christy's family returns home from a trip. Christy, concerned for the cats, leaves around 2–3pm to buy cat food at Belk's, a nearby corner store. She never returns.
• Family and Police Search: After searching familiar places and not finding her, the family calls police at about 10:15pm (04:03–04:47).
• Last Sightings: Christy is seen at Belk’s buying cat food and later outside a nearby house, but not entering any vehicles (05:04–05:27).

2. Initial Investigation & Suspects

• Weather Hampering Search: Nearly 10 days of rain complicated searches and likely destroyed evidence (05:47).
• Vetting Family: Both Christy’s mother and her boyfriend, as well as her father (who lived out of state), are ruled out by police (05:47).
• Rambo Brothers Surface: Investigation uncovers that Christy’s friend was being molested by neighbors Chuck and Willis Rambo (07:00). Both lived nearby and had access to Christy and her friends.
  • Quote: “That’s when we discovered one of Christy’s friends was being molested by Chuck and Willis Rambo. So they then became a primary people of interest.” – Detective Springer [07:00]
• No Direct Tie: Police find no direct evidence in the Rambo home. Chuck confesses to sexually assaulting Christy’s friend, and both brothers plead guilty to lewd assault, serving only probation (09:31).
  • Searches: Investigators dig at locations associated with the Rambos, searching for clues (09:54).

3. Other Persons of Interest

• Victor Winetti: A convicted child predator, tied to another girl’s disappearance in New Hampshire, is placed in Green Acres the same weekend Christy vanished (11:53–12:33).
  • Suspicious Behavior & Jailhouse Tales: Inmates claim Victor confessed, but polygraphs reveal these confessions were fabricated for closure (15:30–16:22).
  • Quote: “In my experience over the years, child molesters, they don’t go to prison and talk about their crimes…” – Detective Springer [15:30–16:50]
• William Ferris: Years later, Ferris is suggested as a suspect by his own wife when he is imprisoned for molesting his grandchildren; he denies involvement in Christy’s case and later dies in prison (19:07–20:16).

4. The Lasting Impact on the Community

• Friends Remember Christy: Childhood friends Brenda and Jennifer describe Christy’s disappearance as a defining trauma for their generation (21:09).
  • Quote: “Anybody from our era… when someone mentions to them, what do you think of when you think of Green Acres? Kristi Luna. That’s it.” – Brenda [21:09]
• Jennifer’s Repressed Memory: Decades later, Jennifer recalls new, disturbing memories triggered by Christy's mother appearing on TV (21:59–24:14).

5. New Revelations: Jennifer's Story

• Assault in the Park: Jennifer vividly remembers being approached by a man at the park, lured into the bathroom with the promise of retrieving change, and then assaulted. Christy interrupts the attack, at which point Jennifer loses consciousness (24:53–26:11).
  • Quote: “I hear Christy coming in. 'What are you doing to my friend?'… I hear a loud thud, and I don't remember anything after that.” – Jennifer [26:03]
• Witness to Grooming Tactics: Brenda remembers a similar incident with a man luring girls using change, which predated Christy’s disappearance. This suggests a pattern in the community (29:02–31:21).

6. Connecting Past to Present: The Rambo Brothers Re-Emergence

• Recognition from Old Photos: Both Brenda and Jennifer, shown old photos of the Rambo brothers from newspaper clippings, confirm they recognize them as the men from their respective confrontations in the park and restroom (32:33–33:25).
  • Quote: “If you ask me if this is Charles, what I can tell you is it was that man… That was him.” – Jennifer [33:03]
  • Quote: “I can confidently say from old newspaper articles… that’s the man I saw in the park.” – Brenda [33:25]
• No Charges for Christy: Despite their gender-based violence convictions, neither Rambo brother has been charged with crimes relating to Christy’s disappearance.

7. Community Mobilization & New Leads

• The Facebook Page: Brenda and Jennifer launch a page to share Christy’s story and encourage others with similar experiences to come forward. Their efforts surface more women who recall attempts to lure them in similar manners (35:12).
• 2019 Tip – Guadalupe Martinez: A tip connects Christy’s last sighting to a man named Guadalupe Martinez, known for violent behavior and inappropriate activity with children. Investigators excavate his former property, including the septic tank, but find nothing (36:43–38:08).
  • Quote: “We were there for a good week… got down inside the septic tank… but we come up with nothing.” – Det. Springer [37:42]

8. The Search Continues and the Burden of Memory

• Demolition and Hope: The park where these incidents occurred is scheduled for demolition, stirring anxiety among survivors who fear secrets may be lost forever (38:28–39:26).
• Christy’s Mother, Jenny: Despite her illness, she acknowledges Brenda and Jennifer as “Christy’s Angels,” carrying the torch for her daughter’s case (40:20).
  • Quote: “Christy’s best friends took over for me. Thank God.” – Jenny Luna [40:20]

9. Call to Action & Advocacy

• Emphasis on Awareness: Brenda and Jennifer stress the importance of visibility for Christy's case and being a voice for the missing (41:35–42:27).
  • Quote: “She can’t speak for herself right now. She needs us more than ever. We are her voice right now.” – Brenda [41:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Neighborhood’s Hidden Dangers:
  “It wasn’t like it was a dangerous area… Except when we started investigating it, we found that there were a few child molesters in the neighborhood. But back then, there was no record of it.” – Detective Springer [17:22]

• On the Rambo Brothers' Avoidance of Jail:
  “Both men ultimately pleaded guilty to lewd assault in that case, for one reason or another, neither of them served any jail time, just 10 years probation apiece.” – Ashley Flowers [08:55]

• On Survivor Solidarity:
  “Helping just one person is a lot, but if you can help more, it’s better. And we just want to make sure that we’re making a voice for those who can’t be heard. Like Christy.” – Brenda [41:35]

Timestamps of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:28 | Episode introduction and overview of Green Acres | | 03:33 | Detective Springer details the day Christy went missing | | 07:00 | Rambo brothers become persons of interest | | 09:31 | Rambo house search; lack of evidence | | 11:53 | Victor Winetti investigation | | 15:30 | Jailhouse confessions proven false | | 19:07 | William Ferris named a possible suspect by his wife | | 21:09 | Brenda and Jennifer reflect on the lasting impact | | 24:53 | Jennifer describes her memory of the bathroom assault | | 29:02 | Brenda’s corroborating memory; police response at time | | 32:33 | Friends recognize Rambo brothers from period newspaper photos | | 35:12 | Creation and impact of the Christy Luna Facebook page | | 36:43 | 2019 tip and septic tank search | | 38:28 | Park slated for demolition; concern over buried secrets | | 40:20 | Christy’s mother passes the torch to friends | | 41:35 | Advocacy for Christy and the importance of persistence | | 42:27 | Call for tips and episode close |

Conclusion

Decades later, Marjorie "Christy" Luna’s case remains unsolved, but the collective effort of investigators, survivors, and advocates refuses to let her story fade. The episode honors not only Christy’s memory but also the resilience of her friends, who courageously revisit their trauma to seek truth and justice. With new leads, community mobilization, and a commitment to being the voice for the voiceless, hope remains alive for answers.

If you have any information related to Marjorie “Christy” Luna’s disappearance in Green Acres, Florida on May 27, 1984, you can remain anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers of Palm Beach County at 1-800-458-8477.

For more resources, sketches, and photos referenced in the episode, visit the blog post for this episode at thedeckpodcast.com.