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- [00:00]
A
Forget New Year, new you.
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This season is about slowing down, locking the doors and cozying up at home.
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With the one you really want to.
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Do nothing with your dog.
- [00:10]
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After the holiday chaos, those quiet nights with a blanket, a podcast and your pup feel like the reset you actually need.
- [00:18]
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Ollie helps make those moments easier with fresh protein packed meals made from real.
- [00:22]
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Human grade ingredients so your dog can.
- [00:24]
B
Enjoy some quality comfort food too. Choose from five recipes and get a personalized plan for your dog's needs. Meals arrive perfectly proportioned with a scoop and storage container so serving is fast and mess free. And with Ollie's in app on demand health screenings, supporting your dog is easy, ensuring more cuddles for many years to come. Visit ollie.com truecrime and use code trucrime for 60% off your first box. Sam. Hello everyone and welcome to episode 447 of the True Crime all the Time Unsolved podcast. I'm Mike Ferguson and with me, as always, is my partner in true crime, Mike Gibson. Gibby, how are you?
- [01:38]
A
Hey. I'm good. How about you?
- [01:40]
B
I'm doing great.
- [01:41]
A
Yeah.
- [01:42]
B
You know, you and I have a lot of things cooking for this new year.
- [01:46]
A
Stove is busy.
- [01:47]
B
It is. We talked about it on Patreon, but we're building a new studio.
- [01:52]
A
Yeah.
- [01:52]
B
To do more videos. We're going to be releasing another additional episode weekly of True Crime all the Time. We're going to be doing some more YouTube stuff, Instagram. So, you know, if you're not subscribed to us, go out there and do that now because there's some things coming out in the near future.
- [02:13]
A
Don't want to miss it. Then I got my power tools out and dusted off my carpenter belt and you know, I'm going to be over here with my fancy carpenter pants.
- [02:25]
B
You. You mean you're to build the studio?
- [02:27]
A
Yeah.
- [02:28]
B
Okay. Yeah. You're going 220 or 222. Whatever it takes. Let's go ahead and give our Patreon shout outs. We had Jennifer Field.
- [02:40]
A
What's going on? Jennifer?
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Mark.
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Hey, Mark.
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B
Alice.
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Hey, Alice.
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Corey.
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L. What's going on? Corey?
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Cindy.
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Good old Cindy.
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Rayla. Padilla.
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Padilla.
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Manna. Torbett.
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A
What's going on?
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Torbett DB0789.
- [02:56]
A
Well, thank you.0789.
- [02:58]
B
Which might be somebody's license plate number for all I know.
- [03:02]
A
Yeah. Or their number at the local pen.
- [03:07]
B
But that could be too, I don't know. Usually those are longer, I think, but. Talia, Water.
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A
What's happening?
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Talia Ward.
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All a ward. All.
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B
Valerie Hicks jumped down to our highest level.
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A
Valerie, you're awesome.
- [03:18]
B
And last but not least, Vicky Lloyd.
- [03:20]
A
Thanks, Lloyd.
- [03:20]
B
And then if we go back into the vault this week, we selected Jessica Cruz.
- [03:26]
A
Oh, Jessica. Awesome.
- [03:28]
B
Yeah, we appreciate all the support. I also love the fact that you accused one of our Patreon members of being an inmate.
- [03:35]
A
What?
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B
I'm sure that's going to go over well.
- [03:39]
A
They're like, well, no longer a Patreon member.
- [03:43]
B
That was a one and done thing. So, Gibbs, we have an episode out right now on True Crime all the Time. It's the second and last part on our coverage of the Idaho College murders. So in this last one, we get into additional information about the crime that was released in the months after Brian Kohberger's arrest, his plea deal, and, you know, a lot of the speculation on the potential motive. And for a solved case, there are still quite a few unanswered questions in this thing, and we get into all of them. Right, buddy? Are you ready to get into this episode of True Crime? All the Time Unsolved.
- [04:24]
A
I'm always ready.
- [04:25]
B
We're talking about the murder of Cheryl Warner. Cheryl Warner was murdered after opening her door to someone whom she thought was a stranger and in need of assistance. Twenty years later, the case remains unsolved. And, you know, this stirred up a topic on Patreon for us. Kind of talking about these scenarios where you want to help someone out, but you have to balance that with your own safety. And I think that's a tough situation to be in. For many people, it is.
- [05:02]
A
You know, I'm one of those people that like to help anybody.
- [05:05]
B
Sure. Well, who doesn't? Yeah, but do you want to do it at the risk of possibly of your life? And that's where people would say no, but you don't know that a lot of the time. Until it's too late.
- [05:20]
A
Exactly.
- [05:21]
B
Cheryl Warner was born on December 10, 1968. She graduated high school in 1987 and attended Washington Business School in McLean. Cheryl met her future husband, Lonnie, in a cafe in Warrenton, Virginia. Cheryl was an aspiring singer, and Lonnie was playing guitar in a band Cheryl joined as a backup singer. Okay. There are a lot of stories of how people meet and fall in love and ultimately get married. My wife and I, for example, met at Walmart while we were both working there. A lot of people meet at work. I don't know how many people meet in a band, but I guess technically you could call that work.
- [06:09]
A
So, I mean, you Know, first you meet at the cafe, talk about some things you like, find out you both are into ban things, you know.
- [06:20]
B
Did you just use that in quotes? I did for some weird things. I cannot wait till we start more videos so people can see you in your quotes.
- [06:32]
A
Maybe she had a really good voice, you know, that's why he said you'd be a good backup singer.
- [06:36]
B
Well, I would hope so. She was an aspiring singer.
- [06:40]
A
Yeah, but there's a lot of aspiring singers that probably shouldn't be aspiring singers. Wow.
- [06:45]
B
Okay. People think they can sing, but can I get that? The two got married in 1991 and had three children, Jessica, Stephanie, and Clay, who were 13, 10, and 8, respectively. When Cheryl was murdered. Lonnie told the Culpepper star exponent, she was the perfect mom. She sacrificed her wants and needs for those children. He added, she was a good Samaritan. She would help anybody in any situation. She would open her door for anyone.
- [07:17]
A
You know what? Reminds me of a lot of moms I knew back in the day, especially my mom. Yeah, probably your mom, too.
- [07:24]
B
Yeah. But here's the thing. When you say she would open her door for anyone. Well, we know she did, and she ended up dead. So, you know, that's goes back to what I was saying. Where's the balance? And maybe for somebody like Cheryl Warner, there was no balance, because she trusted people and she was going to help them no matter what. She didn't see the bad. And there are some people like that. Lonnie and Sheryl divorced in 2001, but remained friends. At the time of her death, Sheryl had been working as a receptionist at a law firm in Culpepper for about two and a half years. Cheryl tended her local Catholic church and was active in her children's schooling and sporting events. I mean, she does sound like a wonderful mother.
- [08:15]
A
She does.
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B
Lonnie last saw Cheryl on December 17, 2005. They took the kids out shopping for Christmas trees and put them up. Cheryl then went Christmas shopping. And, you know, the one thing that, you know, I do get from this relationship between Lonnie and Cheryl is that, okay, they decided they couldn't stay married, but they were obviously very friendly. And, you know, how many ex go.
- [08:44]
A
Ahead and active in their children's lives together, together.
- [08:48]
B
And I think that's the key. I mean, how many exes go out Christmas tree shopping together with the kids? And maybe, you know, a lot, but not all of them for sure. I think there's a lot of people who once divorced. Yeah, they'll talk to each other for the sake of the children, but they're not looking to spend their extra time together.
- [09:12]
A
Yeah, they're not getting together and, hey, let's go get a treat again.
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B
And hanging out.
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A
Drink some hot cocoa.
- [09:17]
B
Right. On the evening of December 18, 2005, Cheryl was alone at her house in the 8400 block of James Monroe highway in Riva. The kids were with Lonnie, and Cheryl was Christmas shopping. Before she got home that evening around 6:30pm Cheryl was on the phone with her dad, John Embry, discussing the NFL game between the Washington Commanders and the Cowboys. Cheryl heard a knock on her door. Now they are now called the Washington Commanders. Yeah, back then they would have been the Washington Redskins.
- [09:55]
A
Yes.
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But that nickname was not politically correct, so they changed it to the Commanders. And I think a lot of people were happy about that. There were some hardcore Washington football fans that weren't. They wanted to keep the name, but I think overall that was definitely the right decision. Cheryl told her dad that a man's vehicle had broken down and he wanted to use her phone to call for assistance. His conversation suggested he was not alone. Sheryl told her dad she would call him back after the man used her phone, but she never did.
- [10:33]
A
You know when someone's at your door and you tell your family member, hey, I'll call you back as soon as we're done here. You don't ever get a call back. It's going to be alarming.
- [10:46]
B
Oh, yeah, yeah. You're going to know something's wrong. Now, could somebody just forget? Yeah, I've done that. Saying, hey, I'm on the phone. I'll call you back. And then by the time I get off my phone call, I forget about it and remember it sometime later. But this does go back to the situation that we were talking about. Someone shows up at your door, they're in need. What do they need? In this case? They need to use the phone. But get, this is not 1965. This is 2005. Yeah, I get it. Not everyone has a cell phone, but by and large, in 2005, most people did.
- [11:27]
A
Yeah, pretty popular.
- [11:28]
B
But Cheryl has to make that decision. Is she willing to let this stranger inside her home to use the phone? And I think for some people, that's a very easy decision. It's a hard. No ghostwriter or it's a. I feel bad for this person and I really want to help them out. And I'm not saying one is right and the other is wrong. What I am saying is that There's a lot more risk with one than the other.
- [12:02]
A
That's true. I think today you could just say, tell me the number you want to call, and I'll call them and tell them you need some help.
- [12:10]
B
Right. There's a lot of different ways that maybe it could be done. Today, Cheryl's family called the police when they were unable to get in contact with her. Deputies were dispatched to the house at 7:43pm and arrived at 7:56, but couldn't enter because of heavy smoke. Firefighters arrived at 8:09, doused the flames, and discovered Cheryl's body. Soon after, Cheryl was found in her basement. She was bound and hanging by an electrical cord. She had been shot in the left side of the head with a small caliber bullet. The items surrounding her body were set on fire. So an absolutely horrific scene. First you have a fire, so firefighters have to come out, put that out. But then what is discovered in the basement.
- [13:08]
A
Pretty disturbing.
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B
Is disturbing. It's tragic. I think pretty quickly, you know, the authorities are going to think this is a homicide. Could somebody technically hang themselves and shoot themselves? Yeah, technically. Would they need to bind themselves? Could they even bind themselves and then accomplish all that? No, probably not. And then also, you know, is the murder weapon there? Because in the case of a suicide, the murder weapon should be there.
- [13:41]
A
Sure should.
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B
If we're talking about a gunshot.
- [13:44]
A
I mean, from the time she was talking to her dad to the time the police got there, we're looking at almost an hour and a half. So there's plenty of time for things to happen.
- [13:54]
B
But would it also be very strange that she's talking with her dad on the phone? I'm assuming there's no red alerts, right. That are jumping out to him. Heck, they're talking about the football game. Hard to believe that she would end her life an hour, an hour and a half later.
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A
Yeah.
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B
Cheryl's sister, Ellen Embry, told the Richmond Times Dispatch that nothing appeared to be missing from the home. Some eyewitnesses reported the suspicious vehicle in the vicinity of Cheryl's home that night. Per NBC, Washington investigators believe it's possible that someone encountered the killer around the time of the crime or heard an unusual conversation that night. A 2012 release by the Culpepper County Sheriff's Office provides some details on the suspect profile. It says the person who murdered Cheryl brought a lot of violence to the crime scene, and their behavior suggests a degree of criminal versatility. They were able to con their way into her home, spend time there, brutally kill her, and then Escape. It's likely that this person was no stranger to violence and criminality. Traits that would be reflected in their arrest history or behavior with others in their life. The killer possesses an ability to move to explosive violence and then recover. Those close to the killer, especially females, may have been the victims of violent outbursts. So this profile, Gibbs, I mean, it. It's not talking about race, age range, that type of stuff. It's talking more about the criminal background. This person would have the propensity for violence that maybe others around them would see.
- [15:54]
A
I mean, it's. It is brutal. It kind of has a little bit, to me, like a BTK vibe to it.
- [16:02]
B
That's exactly what I was thinking. Unfortunately, you know, in the murders that he committed in the Otero home, he actually hung the young daughter in the basement. And that was. The whole thing was vicious, but that was especially nasty. The release went on to say it is presumed that the killer was not alone that night. And I'm assuming they're basing that on a couple of things. One, the conversation that Cheryl had with this man, apparently in it somewhere, he must have suggested he wasn't alone. And I'm assuming she had to have relayed that to her dad. It didn't say so specifically, but I don't know how else authorities would have known that. And then two, I'm thinking they probably thought it would have taken more than one person to do all of these things, to bind her, to hoist her up and, you know, put something around her neck.
- [17:08]
A
And they do all that in the less than an hour and a half time.
- [17:11]
B
Yeah, I'm not saying it had to have been, but I'm kind of thinking that's how they must have come to that conclusion. Cold nights, cozy blankets and souls out of office gummies. It's my wife and I's new favorite routine. You know, we throw on a series or movie, grab a gummy and unwind. It's the little self care ritual that kept us calm through the holiday chaos and continues to help keep us calm through the work chaos. Sol is a wellness brand that believes feeling good should be fun and easy. Sol specializes in delicious hemp derived THC and CBD products designed to boost your mood and help you unwind. Their bestselling out of Office Gummies were designed to provide a mild, relaxing buzz, boost your mood and enhance creativity and relaxation. With five different strengths, you can tailor the dose to fit your vibe. From a gentle 1.5 milligram microdose to their newest 15 milligram gummy for a more elevated experience. And my wife and I just like the 1.5 milligram microdose. It just helps relax us and we also get a better night's sleep. Bring on the holiday cheer and treat yourself or someone you love to soul this season. Right now, Soul is offering our audience 30% off your entire order. Go to GetSoul.com and use the code TRUE CRIME. That's GetSold.com promo code TRUECRIME for 30% off. This horrific crime left three children without their mother. Shortly before Christmas. Authorities worked to identify the suspect who knocked on Cheryl's door, but they were unsuccessful. However, a murder spree in the Richmond area in January 2006 was tentatively linked to Cheryl's case. On January 9, 2006, police revealed that a call to Chesterfield county police from a concerned mother provided the critical link that connected the murders of two families in South Richmond to two Arlington county felons who were arrested in Philadelphia. Those men were identified as 28 year old Ray Joseph Dandridge and his uncle, 28 year old Ricky Javon Gray. The mother told police she feared for the safety of a friend of her daughter's and was worried that two men who had stayed at her house were involved in the murder of a family on New Year's Day.
- [19:37]
A
What an eerie feeling that must have.
- [19:39]
B
Been for the mom.
- [19:41]
A
Yeah.
- [19:42]
B
To think that, you know, a couple of men who had stayed at your house could have been responsible for this horrific murder. Yeah, yeah, I think that's. And then on top of that, if they're capable of that crime, what are they going to do to me, my daughter, my daughter's friend? I'm assuming she had a lot of concerns. Authorities in western Pennsylvania and Northern Virginia were also investigating whether the two men played a role in the Nov. 5 death of Gray's wife and the Dec. 18 shooting and hanging of Cheryl Warner. Gray and Dandridge were arrested on January 7, 2006 in Philadelphia and charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the New Year's Day murders of Brian and Catherine Harvey and their daughters Stella and Ruby.
- [20:36]
A
So these might be a couple bad guys.
- [20:39]
B
Well, if they're guilty of what they're being charged with, I would say absolutely. So add on to that. They were also charged with conspiracy to commit murder for the murders of Percy L. Tucker, his wife, Mary Baskerville Tucker and her daughter Ashley Baskerville, whose bodies were found in their home on January 6, 2006. So you put those two cases with the death of Gray's wife, the shooting and Hanging of Cheryl Warner. If they were responsible for all of that carnage, then no doubt these are some really heinous individuals. Or as they would say in Britain, heinous.
- [21:28]
A
Heinous, yeah.
- [21:29]
B
I've been watching a British crime show, and they keep saying heinous. Apparently, that's how they say it over there.
- [21:37]
A
Rhymes with something. It does.
- [21:40]
B
Ricky Gray and Ray Dandridge had a criminal history. In 1995, they were charged with a string of armed robberies on the same night. Gray served three years, but returned to jail in March 2000 after he was charged with abducting a man after a traffic accident. He was acquitted, but while awaiting trial, he was found with cocaine and. And sentenced to 16 months in jail.
- [22:06]
A
Well, that will mess things up for you. Is that powdered sugar in your pocket there, or that some cocaine, or are.
- [22:15]
B
You just happy to see me?
- [22:17]
A
There's that, too, but this is what.
- [22:18]
B
I just never understand. Okay? You're charged with abducting someone. You're ultimately acquitted, but while awaiting trial, you can't lay off the cocaine.
- [22:31]
A
This can't be good for a little bit.
- [22:32]
B
No. After he was released, Gray moved to Washington, Pennsylvania, and married Treva Smith. They lived in a house owned by Treva's family. Ray Dandridge served 11 years for armed robbery and was released on October 26, 2005. He moved in with Gray and his wife. These were good friends. I don't think there's any doubt about that.
- [22:57]
A
Oh, yeah. I mean, let his buddy move in with him. That would never happen here. I've tried. You won't let me live here.
- [23:05]
B
And I especially wouldn't let you live here after you just got out of jail for 11 years. On November 5, 2005, Trevis Smith was found dead in a parking lot near the woods in Washington, Pennsylvania. Trevis parents recalled that the couple fought badly. Claw marks were seen on Gray's arm the day before Treva's body was found. Police initially declared Treva's death suspicious, but a homicide investigation was not immediately launched. Treva's mother alleged that the police assumed she died of an overdose and did not try their best to investigate her death.
- [23:44]
A
Well, if that's true, that's unfortunate.
- [23:46]
B
Yeah, I mean, it's. You know, there are a lot of allegations made against the police. Some turn out to be true, some don't. Is it possible that they didn't go out of their way to investigate Treva's death? It's absolutely possible. We've seen it in many cases where police maybe don't do the best investigation possible. Because I don't know if this is the right way to say it, but they don't consider the victim worthy of it.
- [24:19]
A
Yeah, it happens.
- [24:21]
B
It's not right, like you said, but it does happen. A week after Treva died, her parents evicted Dandridge from their property. He moved in with his father in West Philadelphia. Gray also moved out to stay with his grandmother in Arlington.
- [24:38]
A
Well, I'm sure her parents weren't going to let him stay in the house.
- [24:41]
B
No. Especially if they had even an inkling that he might have been responsible for their daughter's death. Dandridge left Philadelphia to join Gray on Christmas Day 2005. On December 31st of that year, 26 year old Ryan Cary was attacked in front of his parents home in Arlington. He was beaten and stabbed in the chest, neck and arms. Two knives were broken off in his torso. He stumbled into his parents house afterwards. Kerry barely survived the attack and was in a coma for two weeks. His right arm was paralyzed.
- [25:20]
A
Do you know how hard you have to be stabbed for not one, but two knives to break off inside your torso?
- [25:26]
B
Yeah, I mean, obviously it depends on the knife, right? Some knives are not as strong as others, but I'm assuming these were very hard blows that probably hit bone that caused the knives to snap. And that's kind of a sickening thought. It really is. But it's also amazing, Gibbs, that this guy was able to stumble into his parents house and he ultimately survived.
- [25:56]
A
It's a heck of a story to tell people down the road.
- [25:59]
B
On January 1, 2006, Richmond firefighters found the bodies of Brian and Catherine Harvey and their daughters Stella and Ruby in the basement of their South Richmond home. Brian's friend called 911 after noticing the house was on fire. The family had been bound with electrical cord and tape, beaten with a claw hammer, and their throats were cut.
- [26:23]
A
Wow. So similar.
- [26:26]
B
Similar in the specifics of the crime, but also similar in the savage. Yeah, the viciousness. I'm telling you, if these individuals are responsible for all these, these are not guys that you want to encounter.
- [26:44]
A
No, not at all.
- [26:45]
B
In any situation. The official cause of death for Brian and Catherine was blunt force trauma to the head. Stella died of smoke inhalation and blunt force trauma to the head. Ruby died of stab wounds to the back, one of which punctured her lung.
- [27:02]
A
I mean, whoever did this had no problem killing the mom, the dad, the kids had no problem doing it by cutting throats and using a claw hammer. It's just like you said, sickening.
- [27:17]
B
Well, the thing that runs through my mind is that, you know, someone who's capable of doing something like this to an entire family, they just literally have no value whatsoever for human life. They just don't care. Right, so what are we talking about? Psychopath? Someone who just has absolutely no empathy. They have to be, right?
- [27:43]
A
Yeah.
- [27:44]
B
On January 3rd, two men and a woman forced their way inside a Chesterfield county home. After knocking on the door and asking for direction. Brenda Dale Mason and her husband Roy were inside their house. While the trio ransacked it, they took a TV, a DVD player, a computer and $800 in cash to keep the men from tying him up. Roy begged and pleaded that his wife was sick and that if anything happened to her that he would not be able to get to her. The robbers agreed not to tie them up and were respectful and polite, saying, yes, sir and no, sir.
- [28:25]
A
That sure doesn't sound like the people that would have killed a husband, a wife and two kids.
- [28:32]
B
It doesn't sound like the same people. Could it be? Maybe. But if they had no qualms in killing an entire family, would they have any issues at all at killing these two people? You wouldn't think so.
- [28:47]
A
No. I don't think they would have a problem just go ahead and tying somebody up, regardless if a man was crying about it or not.
- [28:53]
B
On January 6, 2006, Percy L. Tucker and his wife Mary Baskerville Tucker and her daughter Ashley Baskerville were found dead inside their home. They were bound and had been suffocated with duct tape wrapped around their heads. Percy L. And Mary were cut across the throat. Ashley had a plastic bag wrapped around her head secured with duct tape. And there's not a lot of good ways to go when we talk about murders. But this plastic bag around the head, that seems to me to be a particularly horrible way to die.
- [29:33]
A
It sounds like torture. And maybe the individual or individuals that did this got off by watching that.
- [29:41]
B
Well, because you know you're going to die.
- [29:43]
A
Sure.
- [29:43]
B
It's just a matter of how long your breath holds out. And that. That seems like it would be horrible. Police entered the home around 7:30pm in response to a tip. The home had been ransacked and items appeared to be missing. A van linked to the murder was recovered outside the house. Earlier that day, the police received a call from a Chesterfield woman who was worried about her daughter's friend, Ashley Baskerville. The caller also suspected that Gray and Dandridge were involved in the Harvey murders. Since New Year's Day, Gray and Dandridge had been staying off and on with Ashley and Ashley's friend, the 21 year old daughter of the caller. The young women knew each other from when they were incarcerated as teenagers. So here we're coming back around right to this woman who called authorities because she was worried about her daughter's friend and I'm sure her daughter as well. Baskerville introduced Dandridge and Gray to her friend and the two men were allowed to stay at her home. The trio had been turned away from Baskerville's home by her mother and stepfather. On January 6, the mother told police she and her daughter were concerned about the people on Brock Road, meaning Ashley Baskerville and the Tuckers. They were also concerned that Dandridge and Greg may have been involved in the Harvey murders. Her concern was based on statements that the suspects made while they were at the Chesterfield home and at other times, like on the phone.
- [31:22]
A
So it sounds like she felt it was a justified statement to make.
- [31:26]
B
Well, I think, yes, she had a valid concern. Chesterfield police contacted Richmond detectives and interviews led police to the Tucker's home where they found the bodies. After that, the Chesterfield police searched the caller's home and found evidence that could assist in solving the Harvey case. Chesterfield police also found stolen property that linked the two men to the January 3rd home invasion. So they're, you know, they're getting some evidence, right, linking these guys to some of these crimes. After Gray and Dandridge were arrested In Philadelphia on January 7, police recovered a vehicle taken from the Tucker home. One hour after his arrest, Ray Dandridge confessed to killing the Tuckers in Ashley Baskerville.
- [32:16]
A
He didn't wait. It didn't take him very long, did it?
- [32:19]
B
No, he didn't hold out. Right. Some people can hold out for a long time. Some people crumble very quickly. I think he crumbled quickly, but not great. It took him 12 hours after his arrest until he provided the detailed confession describing how he killed the Harveys with the claw hammer, saying, I don't believe sorry is strong enough. None of this was necessary.
- [32:45]
A
No shit.
- [32:47]
B
Yeah, of course none of this was necessary. But is he really sorry? Is he sorry he did it, or is he sorry that he got caught and he's having to confess to these detectives?
- [32:59]
A
I think it's more of that one.
- [33:00]
B
Because where is the part, Gibbs, where it goes through your mind before you take the action? Hey, I don't need to do this. We already have what we need, right? Let's just leave.
- [33:12]
A
Why do I have to do all this extreme things? I'm getting ready to do that.
- [33:16]
B
Seems to only come about after the person is caught. According to the confession, Gray bound Catherine, Brian and Ruby in the basement. As this was occurring, their daughter Stella arrived home from a friend's house. Gray briefly unbound Catherine so she could get Stella. The mother of Stella's friend had a brief exchange with Katherine, who she noticed looked pale. However, Catherine didn't indicate anything was wrong. And I think. I don't know what I would do in that situation, but it would be a very tough one.
- [33:54]
A
Sure. Because, you know, like, maybe if you do say something, you don't know if something's going to happen to your family.
- [33:59]
B
Yeah. It's possible that you could get away, but you could also condemn your loved ones who are still in the basement. So that's a very tough situation. Catherine and Stella were rebounds. Gray then cut all of their throats and hit them each in the head with a claw hammer multiple times. Gray and Dandridge tipped over an art easel in the basement, poured wine on it and lit it on fire. In subsequent confessions, he admitted to beating his wife, Treva to death while Dandridge held her down. And being an accomplice to the Tucker Baskerville murders and the New Year's Eve attack on Ryan Carey.
- [34:43]
A
All right, so these are some really bad guys.
- [34:45]
B
Yeah. We said if they were guilty of doing all of these things, they would be horrible individuals. And now we know they were horrible individuals. They confessed to what you would have to say, Gibbs, or some of the more horrific crimes you can think of. Cutting throats, hitting people on the head with claw hammers. On January 8, police formally identified Ashley Baskerville as a participant in the Harvey murders, the Chesterfield robbery, and the robbery at her own home. Ashley would have been charged with these crimes if she had lived. Ashley was believed to have been acting as a lookout, waiting in a parked van on New Year's Day while the Harveys were killed. During the robbery, she was found wearing Brian Harvey's wedding band. Gray and Dandridge said Ashley posed as a victim and allowed herself to be bound as part of the plan to rob her mother and stepfather on January 6. But things went wrong and Gray got tired of the girl, so he decided to kill her and take her parents car.
- [36:01]
A
Well, for sure these guys weren't stable, so who knew what would happen that night for her to trust them like that? Yeah, go ahead and bind me and let's sell this to to my parents. Well, at that point, she just made it easy for them to go ahead and get rid of her.
- [36:18]
B
Yeah, so she not only Ended up, you know, being a part of the murder of her family, but she got herself murdered as well. Police announced they were also investigating whether the two men had any ties to the Culpepper area where Cheryl Warner was killed. And let's face it, Gibbs, how could you not look at these guys for the murder of Cheryl Warner? I know the episode is about Cheryl. We spend some time talking about a lot of other cases, but we had to. To really paint a picture of just how despicable these two individuals were and.
- [37:01]
A
The similarities between the cases.
- [37:04]
B
Yeah, I think there were a lot of similarities for the authorities. They would have to have these guys at the top of their list as possible suspects in Cheryl's murder. On February 9, 2006, Ricky Gray was charged with five counts of capital murder for the Harvey case. One charge for killing more than once in a three year period, one charge for committing more than one killing in a single act, one charge for killing in the commission of a robbery, and two charges for killing a child under 14.
- [37:40]
A
Some interesting charges there.
- [37:42]
B
Yes, they are. I mean, it's not something that I think you hear all the time. It might be specific to Virginia or, you know, might be state specific. I don't know. Dandridge was charged with three counts of capital murder in the Tucker Baskerville killings. The third count was later amended to include his role in the Harvey murder. So they were throwing the book at them, and, I mean, it was well deserved. Later that month, Culpepper county authorities said they tended to believe that the death of Cheryl Warner was not related to the two Richmond cases. From early January, however, forensic evidence was still being analyzed and investigators were keeping the possibility open.
- [38:31]
A
It's so similar, though.
- [38:33]
B
Yeah, I mean, I think at the very least, you got to keep the possibility open. Then in June 2006, prosecutors announced that they had linked the murder of Cheryl to Ricky Gray, despite him being ruled out as a suspect that year. Prosecutors learned about the link through sources within the sheriff's office. Gray was also officially linked to the New Year's Eve attack where the victim was beaten and repeatedly stabbed. That was the one where the guy lived. Incredibly, on August 17, 2006, Ricky Gray was found guilty of five capital murder charges. On August 22, the jury voted to sentence him to death. And to me, if there's a death penalty and you believe in the death penalty, this is a case for that.
- [39:24]
A
Absolutely.
- [39:26]
B
On September 19, 2006, during his murder trial, Ray Dandridge pleaded guilty to the Tucker Baskerville and the Harvey murderers in order to Receive life without parole. On September 26, 2006, Gray and Dandridge pleaded guilty to aggravated malicious wounding and robbery for the New Year's Eve attack. They were sentenced to 25 years. On October 23, 2006, Gray was formally sentenced to death. Then, on December 18 of that year, Gray was indicted for the murder of Cheryl Warner. Prosecutors said they were fairly confident Ray Dandridge was not involved. The prosecutor would not say whether Gray's girlfriend, Ashley Baskerville, accompanied him to the home. It was noted that Cheryl's murder appeared to be a random attack, but it.
- [40:20]
A
Also was mentioned during the investigation and also the conversation that Cheryl had with her dad that there was most likely some other individual there. Man, woman, we don't know. So could it have been his girlfriend or could have been his partner in crime?
- [40:39]
B
Yeah, I think it could have been either one. I mean, obviously, we know that Dandridge was not opposed to killing people.
- [40:48]
A
No, not at all.
- [40:50]
B
And Ashley, although she ended up becoming a victim herself, was involved in some things. She shouldn't have been exactly there, too. Gray was also indicted for attempted arson, abduction, using a firearm, and possessing a firearm. As a convicted felon. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Over a year later, on June 4, 2008, charges against Ricky Gray for the death of Cheryl Warner were indefinitely suspended. Commonwealth's attorney Gary Close cited several reasons for the suspension of charges, including recently returned evidence, a hair that did not match Gray. According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, Cumberland county prison informant Timothy Thomas testified back in February that Gray's girlfriend, Ashley Baskerville, implicated Gray and Cheryl's death. Ashley told Thomas during a phone conversation. They followed a lady from a gas station, and Ricky went to the house and asked her to use the phone, telling her his car broke down. They ransacked the house, taking money and jewelry. This testimony was thrown out at a later hearing, and I could see why. You know, it would be tiersay evidence. I'm sure it was probably ruled that. But if true, it surely implicates not only Ricky, but Ashley as well. Now, my question is, Gibbs, why would Ashley implicate herself in this phone conversation? When she says they, I'm assuming she's referring to herself and. And Ricky Gray. The defense argued that cell phone records showed Gray was in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on the night of the murder and couldn't have been in Culpepper when Cheryl died. Aside from Ricky Gray, no one else has ever been charged in connection with Cheryl's murder. In December 2014, police asked the public for help in identifying a man captured on surveillance video at approximately 5:15 on December 18, 2005, Sheryl was shopping at the Belk store in Culpepper. She was captured on surveillance leaving the store. An unidentified male held the door open for her and engaged her in conversation. Police have still not identified this man, who is believed to be one of the last people to see Sherri alive.
- [43:31]
A
It was nine years after they had the video. It seems like a long time before you ask help from the public to try to identify somebody. Maybe they did it earlier, I don't know. But to do it in 2014, when this happened in 2005, that does seem strange.
- [43:49]
B
It does now. Maybe they didn't want to scare this individual. Maybe they didn't want him to know they had the surveillance video. But you're going to lose a lot when you wait nine years. People move. People die. Now, I don't know this for a fact, but it seems as though they don't believe this was Ricky Gray. Yeah, and obviously, if he's in a different state, it couldn't have been him. If the cell phone records are correct, Ricky Gray was executed by the state of Virginia on January 18, 2017, after years of appeals. In a recent Facebook post marking 20 years since Cheryl was murdered, the Culpepper County Sheriff's office noted that the suspect started the fire with the intention of destroying evidence. But investigators were able to develop a DNA profile that will be compatible for comparison to an individual suspect. Culpepper county is asking for assistance in the development of a suspect for individual DNA comparison. The DNA is not sufficient for an automatic computer comparison in the national database, but this could change as technology improves. So that's interesting, because it sounds like if they had a person and they had their DNA, what they have would be enough to make a match. But somehow it's not enough for a match with the national database. Okay, I'm not sure why that is, but that's the way I'm taking it. Maybe to get a match in the national database, it takes, you know, what's the word, Gibbs? More of a profile. More DNA than what they actually have.
- [45:45]
A
Right. So you're thinking if, like, they find somebody, they bring them in, swab them, swab them, and then do a comparison. That would work, but it's just not going to work in a national database.
- [46:01]
B
That's the way I'm reading it. Or I'm taking it from the research. Why that is, it wasn't explained if anyone remembers or has any information relating to the murder of Cheryl Warner or has Any information that may lead to the identification of a suspect or suspects, please contact the Culpepper Sheriff's Office. You can call via telephone at 540-720-7900. You can also email the following individuals. Detective Crosswhite at mcrosswhite culpeppercounty.govDetective Salakey at jsalakeulpeppercounty.gov or email an anonymous submission at justiceforcherylwarnermail.com you can also contact authorities via mail or in person at the Culpepper County Sheriff's office located at 14023 Public Safety Court, Culpepper, VA 22701. So, Gibbs, as we wrap this one up, we talked about a lot of cases in this episode. Getting back to Cheryl's case, her murder, like some of the other ones we talked about, was extremely vicious. I think you mentioned it a couple times. There are a lot of similarities.
- [47:28]
A
Yeah.
- [47:29]
B
Between the murder of Cheryl Warner and what Gray and Dandridge did. Now, the fact that Gray was apparently in a different state at the time that Cheryl was murdered. Okay, I can see why the police are having trouble putting it on him. I don't know if they've looked at Dandridge. And then there's a chance you could have somebody completely different.
- [47:59]
A
You could.
- [47:59]
B
There's a lot of people who commit very heinous crimes. Oh, yeah, that's also a scary thought.
- [48:06]
A
It's really scary.
- [48:07]
B
But the fact that they do have some DNA is a really good thing. You know, as technology goes on, maybe they. They're able to do more with the small amount they have than what can be done right now. We've seen that over the years. I do think that this is one that will be solved. How long it'll take, I don't know. It could be a matter of waiting for the technology to advance, or it could be a matter of somebody providing the correct information. The correct tip.
- [48:44]
A
Yeah. Or a combination of.
- [48:46]
B
Yep. Or a combination of. But that's it for our episode on Cheryl Warner. We got a voicemail. You want to check that out?
- [48:53]
A
Let's hear it.
- [48:55]
B
Hi, good afternoon. My name is Julissa.
- [48:58]
A
I become recently listening to your podcast.
- [49:01]
B
I like the relationship between you two. The two mics. That episode of Colin Ferguson, it was so funny and so sad at the same time. I just. I listen to a podcast and it's very interesting and I learned things and keep your own time thinking. Thank you. Well, thank you so much for calling in. We appreciate the voicemail. Appreciate you listening. Absolutely.
- [49:34]
A
And it's hard to find humor all the time when we're talking about something so serious.
- [49:41]
B
Yeah. You have to be very selective.
- [49:43]
A
Yeah.
- [49:44]
B
You know, you don't want to make light of anyone's tragedy, but we sometimes goof on each other.
- [49:53]
A
Sure.
- [49:53]
B
You say a lot of mean, hurtful things about you. I know where you're going with this. We do goof on killers sometimes. They deserve it. I'm fine with that. Absolutely. But, you know, people have said a little bit of levity can help some of these really dark cases. And, you know, you know, we don't try to force it, but if it comes naturally, we'll put it in there.
- [50:17]
A
Yeah. I think for whatever reason, we found a good balance.
- [50:21]
B
Try to.
- [50:21]
A
Yeah.
- [50:22]
B
All right, buddy. That is it for another episode of True Crime. All the time unsolved. So for Mike and Gibby, stay safe and keep your own time ticking.
- [50:38]
A
Sam.