The Leighton Avenue Killings (9, 10, Jack, and Queen of Hearts, New York)

Summary

Summary of "The Leighton Avenue Killings (9, 10, Jack, and Queen of Hearts, New York)"

Episode Release Date: June 11, 2025

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Introduction to the Case

In this gripping episode of The Deck, hosted by Ashley Flowers, listeners are introduced to one of Rochester, New York's most harrowing unsolved cases: the quadruple homicide known as the Leighton Avenue Killings. The victims—Michael Adams, Lashelle Powell (affectionately known as Peanut), Michael Royal, and Jennifer Leisure—were found brutally murdered in their home during a fire on the night of January 10, 2016. Despite the passage of nearly a decade, the case remains unresolved, with law enforcement agencies hoping that the dissemination of this story will prompt new leads.

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The Night of the Murders

Timestamp [00:04]

On a frigid winter night, Mary Royal returned home after visiting her daughter, only to find the front door of her family's home inexplicably open—a stark deviation from the usual security Michael Royal maintained.

Mary Royal:
"She'd always be like, did you lock the door, Mom? Did you lock the door? And so I knew something wasn't right." ([01:53])

As Mary entered, the absence of their usually protective dog, Jax, heightened her unease. Instead of the usual chaos of a busy household, the house was eerily silent and engulfed in smoke.

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Discovery of the Crime Scene

Timestamp [02:01] - [05:31]

Mary attempted to wake her family members but received no responses. Realizing the severity of the situation, she called 911. Firefighters arrived to assess the scene, uncovering a devastating fire on the stairwell that had already consumed parts of the home. As the flames were brought under control, investigators discovered the lifeless bodies of the four victims in the attic's living room.

John Brennan, Lead Investigator:
"When I got the phone call and they told me to come in, it was four people. I go, what? Four people? Unheard of." ([05:11])

Each victim had been shot multiple times, and their throats had been slit. Additionally, all but Michael Royal had their ankles tied with duct tape, and most had their wrists bound and mouths taped shut, indicating a level of premeditation and overkill that baffled even seasoned officials.

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Forensic Findings and Initial Theories

Timestamp [08:10] - [10:19]

Forensic teams faced immense challenges due to the extensive fire damage, which likely destroyed vital evidence. Notably, valuables were untouched, suggesting that theft was not the motive. The presence of drug paraphernalia hinted at possible connections to the victims' pasts.

Sergeant Gus Vanosa:
"You know, you want to hide a body, you want to hide evidence, you burn it. You know, I've had cases where they have burned the body because they had sex an hour before. So they intentionally burned the body." ([08:33])

The meticulous binding of the victims suggested either a single perpetrator with a twisted agenda or multiple individuals operating with a coordinated plan.

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Victims' Backgrounds and Potential Motives

Timestamp [15:19] - [19:27]

Delving into the lives of the victims revealed complex backgrounds intertwined with minor criminal activities. Michael Royal and Jennifer Leisure had histories of drug use and minor offenses, while Michael Adams was described as a gentle man with a lengthy rap sheet primarily consisting of traffic violations. Lachelle Powell, known as Peanut, had a more tumultuous past, including probation for drug sales and recent violent assaults that hinted at deeper conflicts within the local criminal underbelly.

John Brennan:
"They were street level drug dealers. Okay? Which normally street level, dark dealers don't, you know, get this kind of stuff happening to them. There wasn't enough to make me think that Michael Royal stole the kilo and dope from somebody and they came in and slit his throat." ([17:30])

The theory emerged that Michael Royal and Peanut had likely made significant enemies within the drug trade, potentially escalating to a point where their lives were threatened by rivals seeking retribution or settling scores.

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Investigative Challenges and Unresolved Leads

Timestamp [24:25] - [26:41]

Investigators employed a combination of traditional legwork and advanced technology, including cell tower data and geo-fencing, to narrow down the timeline of the murders. Despite extensive efforts, no direct witnesses or concrete evidence pointed to a specific suspect. The discovery of a fingerprint belonging to one of the victims suggested the possibility of an accomplice, complicating the investigation further.

John Brennan:
"Somebody easily could have been known to the victim and allowed in. Could have knocked on the door and somebody could have opened it and they pushed their way in." ([09:44])

The complexity of the bindings and the methodical nature of the murders led to speculation about whether the perpetrator acted alone or was part of a group.

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Impact on the Community and Families

Timestamp [19:23] - [22:26]

The brutality of the killings left an indelible mark on the Rochester community. Candlelight vigils were held to honor the victims, underscoring the collective grief and the desperate need for closure among the families. Mary Royal and Jennifer's sister, Andy Walls, spoke poignantly about their ongoing struggles with loss and the unrelenting pursuit of justice.

Mary Royal:
"That's the only thing that got me through this, that's getting me through this. Because some people might think that, you know, once the people are caught, that it's over. It'll never be over for me. It'll always be there, but I just have to learn how to try to deal with it somehow." ([29:08])

Andy Walls:
"I have a child now, and the thought that my sister won't ever get to know them kills. It kills. I was so angry for such a long time. And now I just want to give my sister the memory and the honor she deserves and the justice she deserves." ([29:46])

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Ongoing Efforts and Call for Information

Timestamp [30:17] - [32:24]

Despite the passage of years, the Rochester Police Department remains committed to solving the Leighton Avenue Killings. Investigators like John Brennan and Gus Vanosa continue to explore new leads and theories, emphasizing the need for anyone with information to come forward.

John Brennan:
"Somebody's gonna give you up. You talked, you told somebody. Somebody knows. You know, if I find out who you are, we're coming for you. We're coming for you." ([32:09])

Sergeant Gus Vanosa:
"We've reexamined all the evidence, and we are following up on potential leads. This is just a tough case. It really is. A lot of work went into this, and we're just hoping and praying that someday something breaks." ([30:29])

A reward of $15,000 has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators. The investigation remains active, with law enforcement hopeful that renewed public attention may shed light on this tragic event.

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Conclusion

The Leighton Avenue Killings stand as a tragic reminder of the complexities and dangers inherent in the criminal underworld. As The Deck continues to spotlight cold cases in hopes of fostering new breakthroughs, the story of Michael Adams, Lashelle Powell, Michael Royal, and Jennifer Leisure serves as a poignant call to action for listeners to aid in bringing justice to the victims and closure to their families.

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For those with information related to this case, please contact Rochester Police Department's Major Crimes Unit at 585-428-7157, email [e-mail], or reach out to Crime Stoppers anonymously at 585-423-9300.

The Deck is produced by audiochuck with theme music by Ryan Lewis. More information can be found at thedeckpodcast.com.

Transcript

[Ashley Flowers]

Our cards this week are Michael Adams, Lashelle Powell, Michael Royal, and Jennifer Leisure. The 9, 10. Jack and Queen of Hearts from New York. In the late hours of a frigid winter night, a fire tore through their Rochester home. But when the smoke cleared, investigators realized this wasn't a tragic accident. It was a quadruple homicide. One one of the most brutal murder scenes they had ever encountered. But somehow, nearly 10 years later, it remains unsolved. But maybe we can help change that. I'm Ashley Flowers, and this is the deck. Sunday, January 10, 2016, was a freezing cold night in Rochester, New York. So the streets were quiet when a woman named Mary Royal got back to her home on Layton Avenue just before midnight. She'd been gone for a couple of days, staying at her daughter's place a few miles away to help out with her grandkids. Everything had been fine when she left, but as Mary walked toward the house, something immediately put her on edge. The front door was open, and that didn't make sense because her son, who lived there with her, Michael Royal, was always careful about locking up.

[Mary Royal]

She'd always be like, did you lock the door, Mom? Did you lock the door? And so I knew something wasn't right.

[Ashley Flowers]

And it wasn't just that open door that made her uneasy. Normally, their dog Jax would go wild the second anyone came near their enclosed front porch. But that night, nothing. The whole place was dark and still. And in a multifamily house that usually bustled with people, that was totally out of the ordinary. You see, it wasn't just Mary and Michael who lived in the upstairs apartment with Jax. It was also home to Michael's fiance, Jennifer Leisure, along with Mary's sister, Kim Herring, and Kim's boyfriend, Michael Adams. Plus Michael Royal's friend Lachelle Powell had recently moved in. And there was a couple renting the separate unit downstairs. So all told, there were six people and one dog living in the upstairs apartment, which spanned two floors, and two more people in the downstairs apartment. Quiet was basically unheard of. And as Mary stepped inside and started up the stairs, she was hit by the smell of smoke. I mean, so intense that she could hardly breathe.

[Mary Royal]

I was just thinking in my mind, God, don't let them be there. Let them be gone to the store or something. I don't care. Just don't let anybody be in the house.

[Ashley Flowers]

But when she called out to her family, she didn't get a response.

[Mary Royal]

My eyes kept watering and I kept on trying to attempt to go up the stairs, and I couldn't do it.

[Ashley Flowers]

She went outside, dialed 911 and waited for firefighters to show up. When they did, they didn't see any flames coming from the house, just smoke. But inside was a different story. A fire was blazing on the stairwell between the second floor and the attic. And it had already done serious damage, burning right through the staircase and leaving it completely destroyed. As crews worked to get the fire under control, others started searching the house for anyone who might still be inside. They cleared the first floor. That couple who lived there wasn't home. Then they cleared the second floor. No one there either. With the stairs demolished, they had to haul in a ladder just to reach the third floor attic, which was split into two rooms, a bedroom and a living room. And in the attic living room, that's where they found them. Four bodies, face down, all in a row. And the second firefighters saw the scene. They called the Rochester Police Department because it was clear that this was not a tragic accident. It was a massacre. And the flames couldn't erase the horror of what had happened. All four victims had their ankles bound with duct tape. Three of them also had their wrists taped behind their backs with more tape across their mouths. And there was blood everywhere. By the time firefighters got the flames under control, Rochester police were on the scene getting their first real look at what they were dealing with. And it was unlike anything they had seen before, even in a city that has its own share of violent crime. And even experienced cops were taken aback, like John Brennan, one of the lead investigators.

[John Brennan]

When I got the phone call and they told me to come in, it was four people. I go, what? Four people? Unheard of.

[Ashley Flowers]

All four victims had been shot, some more than once. And if that wasn't bad enough, their throats had been slit too. Here's Gary Goletta, another investigator who worked the case.

[Gary Goletta]

You know, walking into this, it's a show, you know, that it reeks of a home invasion.

[Ashley Flowers]

Police might have known that, but Mary Royal didn't. She was still outside, huddled in a fire truck for warmth, trying to figure out what happened and where everyone was. I mean, she knew her sister Kim was at work, so she shouldn't have been home. But the other four people who lived with her in the upstairs apartment, her 28 year old son Michael, Michael's fiance, 29 year old Jennifer, his friend, 22 year old Lachelle, and Kim's boyfriend, 45 year old Michael Adams, they were all unaccounted for. Over and over, Mary called Michael's cell phone, praying that her son would answer and that the house had been empty when the fire started, even though his car was parked in the driveway. Maybe they just went out somewhere or took Jax for a walk. But then she overheard first responders using words like homicide and crime scene. And soon after, a detective broke the news that everyone in the house, four people and one dog, were dead. And even then, it was hard for Mary to believe.

[Mary Royal]

I think I just didn't want to believe it. Like, it didn't sink in. It was like a nightmare that you can't wake up from. How can you be sure that that's them in the house?

[Ashley Flowers]

But based on what they gathered about the living arrangements and who was mia, detectives were confident that the four victims were Michael Royal, Jennifer Lachelle, who went by her nickname Peanut, and Michael Adams, who I'm going to call Michael A to avoid confusion. Everyone in the police unit got pulled in for this, including one of the newest additions to the Major Crimes Unit, Sergeant Gus Vonosa. This was his first case with Major Crimes, and when he got the call, he actually thought the squad was messing with him, like playing a practical joke on the new guy.

[Gus Vanosa]

And I go, you know what? This is what I'd do to the new guy. I'd call him coldest night of the year, have him respond, and he's all alone. So I'm thinking to myself, no way. I'm not going to fall for the banana in the tailpipe.

[Ashley Flowers]

But his partner assured him this was no trick. And the moment Sergeant Vanosa pulled up to the scene, he realized just how serious it was and how complicated the place was. Packed, cluttered, and tough to navigate. And the fire had only made it worse, leaving behind layers of debris and destruction. Police suspected that the fire had a very specific purpose.

[Gus Vanosa]

You know, you want to hide a body, you want to hide evidence, you burn it. You know, I've had cases where they have burned the body because they had sex an hour before. So they intentionally burned the body. And it just. It makes everything difficult because, you know, DNA is gone. There's a whole slew of complications for the technicians at that point.

[Ashley Flowers]

Investigator Galetta knew it was going to take time and patience to figure out what might be evidence and what was just part of everyday life.

[Gary Goletta]

This is one of those scenes that it takes days to process. We do the overall, but then we have to come back and look at the pictures because that's where you start to notice stuff. You know, it's hard to take all that in while you're standing there.

[Ashley Flowers]

They collected anything that seemed relevant, mostly from the third floor. Bloody sections of carpet, pieces of duct tape, and personal items like wallets, keys, and cell phones. I mean, it was painstaking work, but even in the midst of the mess, some things stood out. For instance, as far as they could tell, nothing had been stolen. I mean, there were valuables still sitting out in plain sight. A laptop, a tv, multiple phones. There was also drug paraphernalia, like plastic baggies, a sifter, and small amounts of pills, powder, and wheat. In the attic in Peanut's room on the second floor, all of it was left untouched. There were also no signs of forced entry. Here's Investigator Brennan again.

[John Brennan]

Somebody easily could have been known to the victim and allowed in. Could have knocked on the door and somebody could have opened it and they pushed their way in.

[Ashley Flowers]

Then there were the bindings on everyone's ankles and most everyone's wrists. Jennifer's wrists were taped up especially tight meticulously, which Sergeant Vanosa noticed.

[Gus Vanosa]

Certainly they took their time to do that, when others looked a little hasty the way that they bound him. So, I mean, did the same person do it? Did two different people do it? Who knows?

[Ashley Flowers]

To be honest, who knows was an accurate answer to almost every question at that point. But the autopsies confirmed something investigators were sure of. This wasn't just a murder. It was overkill. Everyone had been shot in the head, execution style. Peanut had been shot three times. Michael A. Had been shot once. Michael R. And Jennifer had each been shot twice. Now, all of the shots were fired from the same weapon, a.22 caliber. And Michael R. Was the only one whose hands weren't tied. Though there was some tape found around one wrist, there wasn't much clarity when it came to the cuts on their necks. The medical examiner couldn't say exactly what kind of weapon had been used, but the wounds were deep. That is, except for Peanut's injury, which was somewhat superficial. And in addition to burns on all of their bodies, the medical examiner discovered soot in Michael A's and Jennifer's airways, an indication that they had inhaled smoke.

[Gary Goletta]

Which means when the fire was set, they were still breathing. So after having been slit and shot, to have soot in your lungs means you're still alive in some regard.

[Ashley Flowers]

Jax. The dog was found behind a couch in the attic living room. A Rochester police captain with a soft spot for pets actually ordered a necropsy, which is basically an animal autopsy. He wanted to see if Jax had been shot or stabbed, but it turns out the dog had died from smoke inhalation. Now, while the forensics were unfolding in one lane, detectives were chasing leads. In another, trying to lock in a timeline. Mary's sister Kim told police everyone was fine just hanging out and watching TV when she left for work at around 10pm and they knew that Mary got home just before she called 911 at 11:49. That left just under two hours, a pretty tight window, according to investigator Brennan.

[John Brennan]

Somebody went over there to hang out or to have a discussion. Things had to get heated pretty bad, pretty quick. You know, it wasn't time like you're going to put somebody in a chair and torture them for a while.

[Ashley Flowers]

Still, considering how deliberate the setup seemed, it didn't look like whoever did this came all that prepared. I mean, they brought their own gun. And remember, there's still uncertainty around the weapon used to cut the victim's throat, so we don't know about that. But most everything else appeared to already be inside the house, like the duct tape and the accelerant, which investigators believed was some sort of cosmetic chemical. You see, Jennifer had plenty of that. She was a cosmetologist, and sometimes she'd worked from home doing hair and nails for her friends and family.

[Gus Vanosa]

It could have started out initially something as simple as, hey, we're going to go threaten these guys or this girl. And then it escalated.

[Ashley Flowers]

Whatever the original intent, the aftermath was devastating and terrifying. As days passed with no one in custody and no real sense of who was behind it or why, some of the families opted to bury their loved ones privately, afraid that whoever did this might still be out there. Watching Jennifer's sister, Andy Walls remembers the confusion of those early days and how little anyone seemed to know.

[Andy Walls]

We didn't know yet how, like it happened. We didn't know that they were tied up. We didn't know that they were shot execution style. Like, we didn't have any of that information. Like, we were just trying to piece stuff together because obviously, the police couldn't give us much information because it was an ongoing investigation.

[Ashley Flowers]

But detectives had limited knowledge themselves and no witnesses to fill in the gaps. The downstairs tenants weren't home that night, and with the bitter cold, windows were shut and no one was hanging around outside. Although one man did report something that stuck with investigator Goletta.

[Gary Goletta]

Neighbor told us that he heard loud music from the house, and we theorized that they turned the volume up so you wouldn't hear the screams or the hollering.

[Ashley Flowers]

And while plenty of details were still murky, one thing felt certain. As Sergeant Vanoza said, it was a targeted incident.

[Gus Vanosa]

You know, they didn't Just happen to walk into this house and do what they did?

[Ashley Flowers]

Listen, we're talking about four people here. Surely they couldn't all be the targets, right? So who exactly was? Detectives hope that learning more about the victims would give them a better understanding of what happened and why. But things got overwhelming fast.

[Gus Vanosa]

There are four different people with four different groups of associates, families, friends.

[Ashley Flowers]

All of the victims had past run ins with law enforcement. Take Michael R's fiance, Jennifer. She had some rocky years after high school. She'd started using drugs and gotten into some trouble. She had some larceny charges, a couple of DWIs. But police didn't find anything that made them especially concerned. In fact, Jennifer's sister Andy felt like Jennifer was finally back on a solid path.

[Andy Walls]

She was becoming the Jenny that we knew before. Like, she kind of, like, warped into this other person that we didn't recognize. And then it was like she was coming back.

[Ashley Flowers]

After leaving an abusive relationship, Jennifer seemed happy with Michael R. The couple had returned to Rochester the year before after a stint in New York City. She had just gotten her cosmetology license, and she was just starting her first real salon job.

[Andy Walls]

Things were starting to finally get in place for her. And then this happened.

[Ashley Flowers]

Then there was Michael A. His rap sheet was longer than Jennifer's, but mostly for traffic violations. He'd been arrested the year before on drug sale charges. But even with that, nothing in his recent history suggested the kind of bad blood that could lead to something this extreme. Michael A. Was also a father of five, described by loved ones to Democrat and Chronicle reporter Shawn Lamon as a gentle and steady person, a peacemaker. All things considered, detectives didn't see anything in Michael A's or Jennifer's backgrounds to suggest that they were the reason for the attack. They seemed more like collateral damage. And when police didn't find anything pointing to Mary or to Kim, that left Michael R. And Peanut, who had more colorful criminal histories than the others. Both had been arrested for weapons possession. Michael R. Had racked up multiple robbery charges, though it had been years since the last. And Peanut was on probation after a conviction for selling drugs. Plus, as investigator Brennan told us, they.

[John Brennan]

Were the ones that were involved in the drug dealing. They were confirmed 100% involved in drug dealing.

[Ashley Flowers]

Brennan says Michael R. Sold weed, heroin, a variety of drugs, and that Peanut also sold heroin. But it wasn't just about their previous legal issues or even their most recent activities. The more detectives dug in, the more they realized Michael R. And Peanut had made some enemies. And to investigators, the theory that one or both of them had crossed the wrong person. That made more sense than anything tied to the small time dealing that they were supposedly mixed up in.

[John Brennan]

They were street level drug dealers. Okay? Which normally street level, dark dealers don't, you know, get. Get this kind of stuff happening to them. There wasn't enough to make me think that Michael Royal stole the kilo and dope from somebody and they came in and slit his throat. I mean, if they. I. I just don't see it. Now, he did something, or Peanut did something to tick somebody off to the point where they want to kill them.

[Ashley Flowers]

But what could make someone that angry? Well, detectives heard that Michael R. And Peanut had stolen drugs and cash from other dealers, that they'd set people up, extorted them. There were even whispers that Michael R. Had been targeting men in the LGBTQ community to rip them off. And this wasn't just gossip floating around the streets. I mean, it was being mentioned in interviews, showing up in digital data like social media posts and phone records, when really it was surfacing from all directions. But when it came to Michael R. All the intel was secondhand with Peanut. There were actual documented details. Investigator Brennan said that Peanut had gotten a bit of a reputation.

[John Brennan]

She had been stealing people's heroin that.

[Ashley Flowers]

Had already landed her in dangerous situations. In fact, a few weeks before the murders, she ended up in the hospital getting treated for second degree burns on the side of her body. And at the time, Peanut told her probation officer that someone held a knife to her neck and shoved her into a grill. The thing is, she never said who was responsible. But word on the street, I mean, what police kept hearing over and over again was that the culprit was a 26 year old man, and he's never been charged with anything in relation to this case. So we're just gonna call him Ron. Well, Ron and Peanut both had ties to a local gang, one of the same group she'd reportedly stolen from. Rumor had it that Ron had given Peanut some heroin to sell, but she never gave him any money back, which is what led to the whole grill incident. And then there was the timing of it all. Michael R. And his family had lived in the Layton Avenue apartment for about eight months without any issues. But within a week of Peanut moving in, now all of a sudden, four people were dead. Maybe it was just a coincidence or maybe her presence triggered something. Ron or no Ron. Either way, detectives wanted to talk to him, and they found him and a friend of his a couple of days after the murders. Now, I'm not sure if he was formally interviewed, just that he was released after they located him. So maybe he clammed up, but he was doing plenty of talking to someone else.

[John Brennan]

There was a wiretap going on. That group at the time.

[Ashley Flowers]

The group that Brennan referred to, who'd been wired tap, was the gang that Peanut and Ron had ties to. The narcotics team had a wiretap on some of their people for a totally unrelated investigation. But police knew that there might be overlap on the cases. And lo and behold, they intercepted a.

[John Brennan]

Call with one of the guys we thought possibly could have been involved.

[Ashley Flowers]

However, instead of moving the investigation forward, it basically slammed the door shut because one of the guys on the phone was Ron. And investigator Brennan told our reporter Nina that what they heard over the line wasn't guilt, it was grief. And it sounded genuine.

[John Brennan]

Him and his partner were crying like babies on the line, talking about Peanut, like they trying to figure out who did it. Crying.

[Ashley Flowers]

Really?

[Gary Goletta]

Yeah.

[John Brennan]

So that surprise, that took them away as a suspect, you know, and then when you looked at everything, you're like, okay, these guys were street level dealers. They had issues with peanut stealing. You know, they all steal from each other, but here we have them. One guy was bawling, bawling.

[Ashley Flowers]

That pain echoed through the community. According to Democrat and Chronicle reporter Will Cleveland, people gathered outside the Layton Avenue home in the days after the murders for candlelight vigils. Some people outside had ties to the victims, but others just lived nearby and were shadows, shaken by the violence. Because the cold, hard truth is that none of this, the rumors, the records, the rough edges, means that these lies didn't matter. It doesn't mean that they deserved what happened to them. And it doesn't change how deeply they were loved. The fact is, people are complicated. Like with Peanut, a friend of hers told Wham reporter Carlette Claire that beneath her tough exterior, she was generous. She was a caring person, someone who always put others before herself. And Michael R. He had a nine year old daughter that he adored. He was preparing to enroll in college classes. He wanted to become a dental hygienist. And he had been doing some spiritual soul searching. In fact, he and Jennifer had just gotten baptized the year before. And to his mom, Mary, reducing him to the worst parts of his story feels both painful and unfair.

[Mary Royal]

I just hate the fact that they're. They're seeing him in a light, a negative light, like he's a criminal. He wasn't that he took care of.

[Ashley Flowers]

His family, but understanding a victim's world, their choices, their struggles, their relationships it isn't about shaming them. At least it shouldn't be. It's about looking at every detail, even the ones that hurt. Because that is how you get to the truth, and that is how you get justice. Which, in those first crucial weeks, is exactly what investigators were trying to do. They threw everything they had at it. I mean, old school legwork and newer tech. They interviewed family and friends, anyone who might have had even the smallest piece of this puzzle.

[John Brennan]

Not one person we talked to had direct knowledge.

[Ashley Flowers]

They pulled cell tower data and used geo fencing to create a digital map of activity near the house that night. They analyzed phone logs to tighten the timeline, shrinking the original murder timing window from just under two hours to about 80 minutes.

[Gus Vanosa]

I can't even begin to tell you the amount of man hours that the investigators put into this one. There was just. They followed everything, and there was just nothing.

[Ashley Flowers]

Brennan even took the case file home with him while he was on leave, recovering after surgery from an ankle injury.

[John Brennan]

My dining room, my wife will tell you, I had this file all over the place.

[Gary Goletta]

It was like a war room.

[John Brennan]

And I went through everything again and again and again to see if, just to make sure I didn't miss something.

[Ashley Flowers]

But they knew that all of the dogged police work in the world couldn't put the crime scene back together. Luckily, though, the fire didn't take everything. Forensic texts recovered a fingerprint on the duct tape used to bind one of the victims. But the fingerprint wasn't from the killer. It was from one of the other four victims.

[Gary Goletta]

Like somebody was made to duct tape the others.

[Ashley Flowers]

This was a chilling discovery. I mean, most everyone assumed that more than one person had to be involved. I mean, how could a single perpetrator hold four people at gunpoint and bind them all at the same time? Even Jennifer's sister, Andy, thought this, too.

[Andy Walls]

I'm thinking about the fact that my sister's six, three and a half, and she didn't put up with sh. Like, my sister was a fighter, so there's no way she would have allowed any of that to happen. She would have tackled somebody down if they were by themselves.

[Ashley Flowers]

And that's part of the issue. Going in alone would have been incredibly risky. Even if someone had been watching the house, like, how could they be sure what or who they were walking into?

[Gus Vanosa]

You go to threaten somebody, you're going into an unknown. You don't know if there's four gang bangers up there that are willing to fight you. So do you go alone, or do you go with a buddy or do you go with a group? I mean, we just don't know.

[Ashley Flowers]

Still, that fingerprint, it could mean that one person did show up alone and then forced one of the victims to help. It's not a popular theory, but it could have some merit. And listen, I could go in circles about this stuff all day. Detectives have, or reporter Nina has. It is important to keep an open mind. But as most cops will tell you, speculation can be helpful. But it doesn't close cases. It's all about what you can prove. And as weeks turned into months, and then months to years, police kept at it. Chasing leads, tracking down witnesses, revisiting old tips. But they couldn't prove anything. Nothing has surfaced that points clearly to a specific suspect. It is the only whodunit that investigator Brennan left behind when he retired.

[John Brennan]

Every case I have that I left, that's still open. This is the only one that I don't know who did it.

[Ashley Flowers]

Guleta has since retired, too. The guy still spends a lot of his time thinking about the Layton Avenue's victims. And Brennan actually developed a new theory over the past couple of years, but he's keeping the details of it top secret. All he had to say was this.

[John Brennan]

I would not be surprised. And everybody's like, you're out of your mind, John. I would not be surprised if one person did this.

[Ashley Flowers]

Whether it's because of the fingerprint, something else, or combination of things he wouldn't share. As for Sergeant Vanosa, I don't believe.

[Gus Vanosa]

It was just one person. I just absolutely do not believe it. But do I think there was four people? Probably not. So if I had to give you an educated guess, based on everything I've seen and heard, I'd say there was two, three at the most.

[Ashley Flowers]

Hopefully one day we'll find out which theory was right. Because if that day ever comes, it won't just settle a debate. It will mean we finally know who did this and the families will finally have some answers. And that day couldn't come soon enough for Mary Royal. So much was taken from her in just one night. Her son, her soon to be daughter in law, Kim's boyfriend, who was like a brother in law. Her dog, even her home. What's kept her going is her faith.

[Mary Royal]

That's the only thing that got me through this, that's getting me through this. Because some people might think that, you know, once the people are caught, that it's over. It'll never be over for me. It'll always be there, but I just have to learn how to try to deal with it somehow.

[Ashley Flowers]

The Layton Avenue house has since been renovated. Other people live there now, but Mary can't even bear to go near it. I mean, she hates anything to do with fire. And she still has nightmares and flashbacks. For Jennifer's sister Andy, the grief is like a sucker punch, one that still knocks the wind out of her.

[Andy Walls]

I have a child now, and the thought that my sister won't ever get to know them kills. It kills. I was so angry for such a long time. And now I just want to give my sister the memory and the honor she deserves and the justice she deserves. Along with the other three victims, they deserve justice. Their family deserves peace.

[Ashley Flowers]

Police declined to comment about any potential DNA evidence that has been tested or could be retested. But Sergeant Vanosa told us that the investigation is still active.

[Gus Vanosa]

We've reexamined all the evidence, and we are following up on potential leads. This is just a tough case. It really is. A lot of work went into this, and we're just hoping and praying that someday something breaks.

[Ashley Flowers]

Brennan doesn't believe this is the kind of case that ends with a confession.

[John Brennan]

Somebody is not going to tell you I killed four people and a dog.

[Ashley Flowers]

What police need is someone with direct, firsthand knowledge of the crime. Someone who saw something, heard something, or was even told something by the person responsible.

[John Brennan]

Somebody that has courage, that's going to come forward and tell us the true story. You know, direct knowledge. That's the only way this case is going to be solved.

[Andy Walls]

Find the courage, find the strength to come forward, Help four families get closure, because we want to know. I promised my sister at her funeral I'd find out and I'd bring her justice, and I really want to do that for her. There's somebody out there that has the information. I understand they're probably afraid to come forward because who knows who the perpetrators are? But it's just so disheartening to be, like, waiting to find out.

[Ashley Flowers]

And the waiting, it never stops. The ache of not knowing. The feeling that someone out there could end it, but just hasn't. And investigators want whoever did this to know something.

[John Brennan]

Somebody's gonna give you up. You talked, you told somebody. Somebody knows. You know, if I find out who you are, we're coming for you. We're coming for you.

[Ashley Flowers]

There is a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever killed Michael Adams, Lachelle, Peanut Powell, Michael Royal, and Jennifer Leisure. If you know anything, please contact Rochester Peedy's Major crimes unit at 5854-287157 or email them at majorcrimesityofrodchester.gov you can also call Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous at 585-423-9300 or you can submit a tip with them online. The Deck is an audio Chuck production with theme music by Ryan Lewis. To learn more about the Deck and our advocacy work, visit thedeckpodcast.com so what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve.