Loading summary
Transcript134 lines
- [00:00]
Maggie Freeling
Foreign you're listening to a Tenderfoot TV podcast. This episode of up and Vanish Weekly is brought to you by Alloy Women's Health. Let's be real. Aging can feel pretty lousy. Sleep issues, hot flashes, brain fog, weight gain and decreased libido hit hard and menopause is inevitable. But here's the thing. It's also treatable. I learned that nearly half of women go over three years before seeking relief for menopause or perimenopause symptoms. So why do we wait so long? Well, part of the problem is that 43% of women say their doctors never mentioned menopause hormone therapy as a treatment option. Another 40% didn't even know where to turn for help. And that's where Alloy comes in. Alloy offers unlimited access to experts and safe science backed treatments all online from the comfort of your own home. No waiting rooms or pharmacy lines. Just fast, effective relief that's delivered right to your door. I cannot recommend Alloy enough. Join the 95% of women who tried Alloy and saw relief in the first two weeks. Head to myalloid.com vanishedweekly and tell them all about your symptoms. You'll get a fully customized treatment plan and you'll get $20 off your first order. Today. Head to my a l l o y.com Vanished Weekly and enter code Vanished to get $20 off your 1st order.
- [01:42]
Payne Lindsay
Hey it's Payne. A lot of you have asked for it and now it's here. We officially have merch from some of your favorite shows. We just introduced our exclusive line of T shirts featuring designs inspired by our top podcasts like Radio Rental, High Strange up and Vanished and more to celebrate the launch of our new merch store. For a limited time, we're going to give you 20% off of all T shirts. Just go to shop Tinderfoot TV. That's shop Tinderfoot TV. Then use the promo code TFTV20. That's TFTV20 at checkout right now we have exclusive pre orders and limited edition designs from your favorite shows, so don't miss your chance to grab them. For 20% off, visit Shop Tenderfoot TV and don't forget to use the promo code TFTV20.
- [02:34]
Maggie Freeling
Hey y'all, it's Maggie. I want to take a second to let you know about an upcoming bonus episode we have in the works. In a few weeks, the team and I will be giving you a behind the scenes look into up and Vanish Weekly. I'll bring you some exciting new updates and we'll be taking questions from you our listeners, but we need you to participate. If you have thoughts about a case we've covered or a burning question from the world of true crime, or maybe you want my take on something totally random. We want to hear from you. Just go to Apple Podcasts, leave your question as a review and say maggie sent me for a chance to be featured. Thanks.
- [03:18]
John
Up and Vanish Weekly is released every Wednesday and brought to you absolutely free, but for one week early access and ad free listening. Subscribe to Tenderfoot plus at tenderfootplus.com or on Apple Podcasts if you're already a subscriber. Thank you for your support.
- [03:36]
Maggie Freeling
This podcast discusses mature and sensitive content, including descriptions of violence that may be triggering for some audiences. Listener discretion is advised.
- [03:53]
Rob
It's the evening of Friday, January 4, 2002. The energy inside of Pyramid Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee is nothing short of electric. Thousands of fans donning blue, gray and gold filter into the stands as the countdown to tip off begins. Among the crowd is 37 year old Cheryl Pearson, an avid basketball fan and seasoned ticket holder who looks on as her hometown Memphis Grizzlies go head to head against the Atlanta Hawks. It's a close game and the pressure mounts, keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats. But despite the excitement, Cheryl begins to feel ill. Over time, her condition worsens until eventually she decides to leave early. During the 17 mile drive home, Cheryl picks up the phone and calls her mother to tell her she's not feeling well. She reassures her that everything is okay and that she's on her way home. But in the coming hours, things would take an unexpected turn. To this day, little is known about the disappearance of Cheryl Lamont Pearson. In the aftermath, investigators would uncover clues about a mysterious early morning call to Cheryl's phone, her abandoned car, which had been systematically cleaned, as well as a sizable life insurance policy. It's a case that's left many wondering. Did all of these clues point to something more menacing? From Tenderfoot TV in Atlanta, this is up and Vanish Weekly with Payne Lindsay and Maggie Freeling.
- [06:05]
Maggie Freeling
Hey y'all. Welcome back to the show. Today we're talking about Dr. Cheryl Lamont Pearson. After the basketball game, she went to bed around 1am received a call from a gas station payphone and was never heard from again. Cheryl was an accomplished woman in college. She was a star basketball player and she got a degree in chemical engineering, later to become a pediatrician. She's described as dependable, loving, reliable and family oriented. In fact, she was supposed to babysit for her sister the next morning and never showed. Nothing in her life stands out as out of the ordinary or having potential link to living a dangerous or risky life. Very little information is available about Cheryl, despite the fact that she's been missing nearly 25 years. From what I can tell, her case never got the attention it deserved and I feel certain that more reporting on her disappearance early on could have made some kind of difference. Why wasn't a respectable doctor vanishing Major news I also believe that the information we have paints a pretty clear picture that something nefarious happened in the early morning hours of Friday, January 4th, though we may never understand the full story. But here's Rob with what we do know.
- [07:38]
Rob
After speaking to her mother on the phone, Cheryl arrived at her upscale residence in the Memphis suburb of Bartlett around 10:30pm despite feeling ill at the game, Cheryl's night appeared to continue for several more hours. Shortly after arriving home, two of her friends joined her for a girl's night in one of the friends, Andrea Fox would later share with authorities that all things considered, Cheryl was acting normal and seemed to be in good spirits. She stated that Cheryl was excited to watch her sister's children the following morning, something she was known to do whenever she was able. After spending several hours together, Andrea and the other friend, who has remained anonymous, left Cheryl's home around 1am Hours later, around 7am, Cheryl's sister Larinda Hildreth arrived to drop off her children before heading to work. But from the time she arrived, there were clear signs that things were out of place. When she knocked, Cheryl never answered the door, and Lorinda noticed that her sister's 2001 blue Audi was missing. At the time, Lorinda was unaware that Cheryl had friends over the night before, and given Sherrell's medical history, she began to fear the worst. Dreading that Cheryl may have been in an accident or experienced a medical emergency, the family contacted authorities to report her missing. Within hours, Cheryl's family, friends, colleagues and neighbors dispersed flyers throughout the area to track down any possible lead as to where she may have gone. But as investigators began to take a deeper look, they uncovered critical evidence that seemed to indicate there may be more to her disappearance than initially thought. And deciphering the clues would prove to be more challenging than expected.
- [09:41]
Maggie Freeling
It may seem odd that Cheryl had friends over after leaving the game because she was feeling ill, but Cheryl was an insulin dependent type 1 diabetic, and this was likely a regular thing she dealt with. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include feeling very thirsty, hungry even though you're eating, extreme fatigue and blurry vision. Nearly 12% of people in the US have diabetes, making it very common. And most people live a long, healthy life with proper care, which Cheryl seemed to do. And her diabetes really takes on a major focus in her disappearance because it raises the possibility that she may have had a health related emergency, some kind of medical episode that she was able to treat when she got home and began feeling better. I don't believe the evidence supports this, but it is something we have to keep in mind. Instead. I think her diabetes is important because of what authorities found in her home. She left behind her insulin pump and other supplies she needed to control her diabetes. She also left her cell phone and pager at home on the table even though she was on call on the weekend of her disappearance. Leaving behind these items would be out of character for Cheryl. Given her background as a doctor and her medical history, it's unlikely to think that Cheryl simply left behind treatment she was dependent on. So the question comes down to whether she left on her own volition, whether she left just thinking she was doing a quick run somewhere, or if she may have been coerced to leave. It didn't take long for authorities to start to piece together a narrative. Here's Rob with what they uncovered.
- [11:35]
Rob
When officers with the Bartlett Police Department arrived on scene, they focused their initial search at Cheryl's home to see what they may be able to learn about the events of that early morning. However, they quickly learned that after Cheryl's family had contacted authorities, they had cleaned the home, which likely destroyed any possible evidence that may have been present. With little to work with, they concluded that there was no sign of forced entry or theft, and there were no obvious signs of a struggle in or around the house. However, new clues would soon indicate that Cheryl may have been the victim of foul play. As part of their initial investigation, authorities pulled Cheryl's phone records to see if it would turn up any helpful tips. The records would provide the first tangible lead, according to police findings. At 1:58am Less than an hour after Cheryl's friends left her home, she received a phone call from a pay phone located at a gas station convenience store less than a mile from her home. Working this new tip, police soon discovered there were no cameras at the convenience store and no fingerprints could be lifted from the phone. While the new information did not provide investigators with a person of interest, it did provide critical evidence that someone contacted Cheryl that night, raising suspicions that someone may have lured her out of her home. Days later, authorities would get additional confirmation about this theory at the quail Ridge apartment complex, less than two miles from Cheryl's home, her 2001 Audi was discovered abandoned in the parking lot. When police inspected the vehicle, it was uncharacteristically clean, which raised red flags. Detective Lee from the Bartlett Police Department would later give this statement to NBC. In 2006, the car was just too clean. It was cleaner than normal. Detailed even. It had been totally detailed.
- [13:44]
Jamie Albright
We didn't even find her prints in there.
- [13:49]
Rob
There were no signs of a struggle in or outside of the car and nothing appeared to be missing. However, inside the trunk, they recovered Cheryl's keys, medical bag, various personal items, and a bank envelope with $140 in cash. The evidence gathered led investigators to believe that Cheryl knew her assailant. Shifting their focus to those in her life. This new chapter of the investigation would raise many questions, as well as reveal an unsettling possible motive.
- [14:30]
Maggie Freeling
The mysterious 2am phone call is a major piece of evidence that leads many to think something nefarious happened. There's a discrepancy about the length of the phone call, but all reports seem to agree it was short and not much could have been said. And it's frustrating that there is physical evidence, like phone records, her car, but nothing concrete to help authorities piece together what happened. Like CCTV footage. It's 2002. I'm really surprised the gas station didn't have any. There are so many unanswered questions in this case. It is a huge mystery, one that caught the attention of one of our Tenderfoot TV team members, Jamie Albright, a previous guest on the show. Jamie looked into Cheryl's disappearance and has some great insight into what may have happened to her. When we come back from a short break, we'll bring you my discussion with Jamie.
- [15:30]
Jamie Albright
The missing child is Lucia Blix, 9 years old.
- [15:34]
Maggie Freeling
Please let her come back home safely.
- [15:38]
Jamie Albright
Thursdays, the kidnappers plumbed it meticulously.
- [15:41]
Maggie Freeling
If money is what it takes to get her back, we're gonna pay it. The secrets they hide. You can't talk about this, you can't write about it. Are the clues. The mother's hiding something. I know it.
- [15:52]
Rob
To find her, tell me where she is.
- [15:55]
Jamie Albright
The stolen girl.
- [15:56]
Maggie Freeling
New episodes Thursdays stream on Hulu.
- [16:00]
Jamie Albright
At Capella University, you can learn at your own pace with our Flexpath learning format. Take one or two courses at a time and complete as many as you can in a 12 week billing session with Flexpath. You can even finish the bachelor's degree.
- [16:14]
Maggie Freeling
You started in 22 months for $20,000.
- [16:17]
Jamie Albright
A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at Capella. Edu fastest 25% of students. Cost varies by pace Transfer credits and other factors. Fees apply.
- [16:31]
Maggie Freeling
All right, now back to our case. Jamie, thanks for sitting down with me to talk about Sheryl's case. I have found this one fascinating because to me it just seems like the answers are right there. And it just stands out how underwhelming the coverage appears to be on it. You know, it was 2002 before the Social media boom, obviously, but it just seems like it really wasn't paid much attention to.
- [17:00]
Jamie Albright
No. And even to this day, it's not a very big story. And I started thinking about that, you know, now someone goes missing and we do see it on different platforms, but back then it would have been local news, but after that, no national news that we could find.
- [17:16]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah, I think this case is one of those. That's really tragic to me because I feel like if it got more attention right away, I think it could have been solved.
- [17:26]
Jamie Albright
I agree with you 100%.
- [17:28]
Maggie Freeling
One of the most significant things that stuck out to me was the phone call at 1:58am it's super strange and seems like it's almost certainly related to her disappearance. What do you make of that call?
- [17:43]
Jamie Albright
Really all we know is that it was quick. So we've seen in most of our sources 5 seconds. But as we saw in another source, it said it was a little bit longer. But no matter what, it's a quick phone call. So you can't say much in a quick phone call. So someone contacted her and that is what led to her, we believe, leaving the home. And as you mentioned, she wasn't feeling well earlier, but when her friends saw her, when they left, they said she was fine. So again, we don't know if it's her diabetes, but at this point she is feeling better. She has a girls night. We're guessing she goes to bed when her friends leave and then she gets this quick phone call.
- [18:19]
Maggie Freeling
The call to me is so interesting because 1am for her friends to leave is pretty late. So for someone to be calling her house almost 2am in the morning, it almost seems to me like somebody knew she was awake or knew her schedule or her habit. Like that's such a strange time for a phone call.
- [18:38]
Jamie Albright
Yeah. One thing I thought about is why didn't they call at 12:40. Right. That's when her friends were there and someone would have been there.
- [18:46]
Maggie Freeling
Right, Exactly. It almost seems like someone knew they had just left and she was still Up.
- [18:51]
Jamie Albright
Yeah.
- [18:51]
Maggie Freeling
One of the things that's strange is she was on call. She's a pediatrician, as we mentioned. So Cheryl leaves her house after this phone call and what she leaves behind is what is very telling and interesting. So she leaves behind her cell phone, her pager, and her diabetes treatment. What does this kind of tell you?
- [19:13]
Jamie Albright
To me, that suggests that she left in a hurry because she's a pediatrician on call and you've got to take people back to pager days, right, where doctors got beeped and then they went in, but you had to respond in a certain amount of time. Anyone on call who has ever been on call knows that. So her patients lives dependent on her. And the fact that she left her pager behind makes me believe she left in a hurry. Um, as far as, you know, cell phone, I think we have to think about it. In modern day times, we're attached to our phone. Back then, only about 50% of US households had cell phones. So that wouldn't alarm me as much as her leaving her diabetes meds. Though honestly, neither of those things stood out as much as her medication.
- [19:53]
Maggie Freeling
So to me it's. It says, like, she gets this phone call and in my head I'm thinking, this is somebody that must know her. And she just races out like, oh, I'll be back super quick. I'm thinking maybe it was like a friend or someone being like, hey, I got a quick emergency. I'm at the gas station half a mile down the street. It was very close. Can you come scoop me really quick? Yeah, sure, I'll be right there. I'll bring you back to my house. That's kind of what I'm thinking, why she would leave anything behind. She gets in her car and thinks, two seconds, I'll be right back.
- [20:23]
Jamie Albright
Yeah, or someone saying that there's an emergency and she's just in this, like, I've got to help, really, right this second. But then again, you still think she wouldn't leave behind her medication. So I think you're right. It's probably someone who needed help and she thought she'd be back quickly, which.
- [20:38]
Maggie Freeling
To me tells me it's someone she knew.
- [20:40]
Jamie Albright
Right.
- [20:41]
Maggie Freeling
Her car is eventually found a couple days later and it is found completely cleaned, like wiped down, no fingerprints, not even Cheryl's. One of the things that really stands out is what was found in her car, particularly in the trunk of her car. Her personal belongings are in the trunk. And what I find interesting is that they keep saying it's her medical bag. And so I'VE seen reported. Like, maybe she had an emergency medical call. But then I'm also seeing that it was her medical bag she used as, like, a purse. And what was in it was a lot of cash. Yeah.
- [21:20]
Jamie Albright
So there's $140 in $20 increments. So the first thing that makes me think is the atm, because it's in a bank envelope, you know, so you go to the ATM, you're gonna get $20 bills back. So she had $140. Is that money she took to the Grizzlies game? Did she stop and get that out of an atm? I have so many questions about the money. I don't know why that's there. The other thing you mentioned, the medical bag, same thing. I've heard that it's her, like, a purse. So you throw everything in there. And as a doctor, you know, maybe that was just normal for her to also keep it all in one place. So that's really, really strange. And then the other thing is that the keys are in the car.
- [21:58]
Maggie Freeling
In the trunk?
- [21:59]
Jamie Albright
Yes.
- [22:00]
Maggie Freeling
In the medical bag?
- [22:01]
Jamie Albright
Yes. So someone put them there and then closed up the car. So I don't believe that she would have done that. Doesn't make sense.
- [22:08]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah. I find it very strange, the bag and the money being in the trunk itself is like, okay, maybe she got out of her car and she wants to be really safe, so she puts those things locked in the trunk. Right. Someone can't just peek in her car and be like, oh, there's a bag and money, but the keys. I wouldn't put my own keys in my trunk.
- [22:27]
Jamie Albright
Right. Because most likely you're going to be driving your car, and you're going to need your keys when you come back. Even so, that's odd. I also think the other thing that was odd was how clean the vehicle was.
- [22:39]
Maggie Freeling
So this is kind of where investigators start realizing, like, this is foul play. Like, we have kind of an inkling when all of the important immediate necessities she needs are at her home. And now it's like, we find her car, and it's pretty clear she wasn't wiping down her own fingerprints. She wasn't putting her keys in the trunk.
- [22:58]
Jamie Albright
Yeah. So law enforcement did canvass the area to see if they could find anything outside of her vehicle, and nothing is found outside of the vehicle. I mean, my guess would be there's not a lot of information on this, but you would think they would have spoke to some neighbors to kind of see what they may have witnessed. And the apartment complex Again, is only two miles from her home. So whatever happened to her seems to have happened in a very small radius from her house to the payphone slash store to the apartment complex.
- [23:29]
Maggie Freeling
It seems to me like it also happened very quickly.
- [23:32]
Jamie Albright
Yes.
- [23:33]
Maggie Freeling
Like you said, it's not a large radius. It seems like whatever happened to her happened right around her home. And then it just makes me think, well, where is she then? Like, if this person is dropping her car off locally and they're calling her locally, where did they take her? Like, how did they get her that far away?
- [23:52]
Jamie Albright
Yeah. And it's only about two days later that the car is found. So you mentioned something like, where did they take her? That was something I thought too. Did you take her somewhere, harm her, clean up the car and then drop it off? Right.
- [24:05]
Maggie Freeling
Cause it's found a couple days later. So I guess I'm wondering, did they originally search that area and it wasn't there, and then suddenly it appears as if, you know, for two days someone had taken her somewhere maybe far away?
- [24:16]
Jamie Albright
Everything I could find, there's no information on if that area was even searched. Is it a gated apartment? Like, I have so many questions about that. One thing I did find was a lot of information though, that the majority of the search seemed to be led by family, friends and her patients. So I don't know how quickly law enforcement acted in like kind of doing a big search for her. That seems a little unclear.
- [24:40]
Maggie Freeling
I am curious about that because I do think I read that the current investigator, or the current detective that is now maybe on the case, was a bit disappointed in the early investigation.
- [24:51]
Jamie Albright
Yes. And so to me, when a detective will publicly state that they, you know, are not thrilled about the way the investigation was handled, that says a lot. And this detective that's currently involved is really vested, I mean, retired and wants law enforcement to look at her case and find out what happened to her.
- [25:10]
Maggie Freeling
So let's talk a bit about the investigation. Early on, the police did expect foul play, as we discussed, because of the items that were found. There was cash found in the car. So this kind of says the motive was not robbery.
- [25:24]
Jamie Albright
Right. Because if you were going to rob her, there's not only cash there, but there's also a 2001 Audi. Her car was really nice and it's in perfect condition. Nothing stolen off the vehicle. So definitely makes me think it's not related to theft or robbery.
- [25:43]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah. And we mentioned the money and it was in like a. A bank envelope, which makes me think she probably got it earlier in the day sometime because it seems like she had to go to a bank.
- [25:52]
Jamie Albright
Right.
- [25:52]
Maggie Freeling
You don't normally get envelopes from an atm. You normally get them from the teller.
- [25:57]
Jamie Albright
Yeah. And I will say I'm a little older than you, Maggie, back in the day.
- [26:01]
Maggie Freeling
Okay, take us back to 2001, Jamie.
- [26:06]
Jamie Albright
There used to be this little slot at the ATM where you could get an envelope. So some people would.
- [26:13]
Maggie Freeling
Okay, I think that's a good detail, because my millennial ass is thinking, okay, she had to go to a teller, but no, she could have gone to an atm.
- [26:22]
Jamie Albright
Yes.
- [26:23]
Maggie Freeling
All right. That is good information to have. I was not aware of that. So do we know if the police still have her car? Any of the original evidence that was found?
- [26:35]
Jamie Albright
My guess is it was probably returned back to family. And what the detective has said about the case suggests that there isn't much to go on. So if they had any evidence, it would have probably come from the car, which was wiped clean. So there's no fingerprints or DNA or things that they can look at now and try to reexamine, unfortunately.
- [26:58]
Maggie Freeling
What do you make of the family? Were they out there advocating for her? What was kind of their role in everything?
- [27:04]
Jamie Albright
So the family was really outspoken in the beginning as far as, like I said, giving out flyers and speaking to law enforcement. Then at one point, they felt all eyes were on them. And then the relationship between the family and law enforcement really fractured. And so that's kind of where it feels like it kind of died out and no one was communicating with one another.
- [27:26]
Maggie Freeling
I kind of thought, too, like, if the family is feeling like they're being suspected of something, like, I could see them really being like, oh, well, if they think it's us, they're barking up the wrong tree. So I could see them doubling down, too. Just getting really mad at the police.
- [27:40]
Jamie Albright
Yeah. And, you know, you see that happen a lot with families. Right. Because that relationship in the beginning will definitely impact the relationship long term. And if they did feel all eyes were on them and they, you know, that relationship stopped, I think that definitely would have impacted the investigation, because maybe there were people the family could have said, how about this ex or this person? And that communication seemed to have ceased.
- [28:04]
Maggie Freeling
More of our discussion after a quick break. You're listening to up and Vanish weekly.
- [28:10]
Rob
The NBA 82 game grind is done, and now the real fun begins. The NBA playoffs are here, and DraftKings sportsbook has you covered as an official sports betting Partner of the NBA. Make it a playoff run to remember with DraftKings. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app and use code Field Goal. That's code Field Goal for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets. When you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Booth Resort in Kansas, 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void. In Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng co Audio this episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Not everyone is careful with your personal information, which might explain why there's a victim of identity theft every five seconds in the U.S. fortunately, there's LifeLock. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a US Based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year by visiting lifelock.com podcast terms apply.
- [29:43]
Maggie Freeling
And now, here's John with this week's critical missing case.
- [29:48]
John
Hey Maggie. So on Monday, January 13, 2025, 42 year old Lisa Jeanine Pip vanished from the Menominee Michigan area. Now, it's believed that Lisa was last located near the Menominee Lighthouse off the Bay of Green Bay. What's strange is that multiple witnesses claim to have seen Janine walking out onto the ice, but it's not clear what happened afterwards or if she made it back to land before she disappeared. Lisa is of Caucasian ethnicity. She has a height between 5 foot 1 inch and 5 foot 3 inches and a weight between 240 and 250 pounds. Lisa has brown hair and brown eyes and she has piercings in her ears, abdomen and tongue. And she has multiple tattoos, including a butterfly on her right ankle, a flower on her right leg, a dragonfly on her lower back, and several others. So listeners, if you know any information about Lisa's whereabouts or what may have happened to her, please reach out to the Menominee Police department by calling 906-863-2656 and you can reference case number 575 4625.
- [31:07]
Maggie Freeling
All right, now back to our case. What do we know about her personal and intimate relationships at the time? Did they look into any intimate partners?
- [31:17]
Jamie Albright
So I found one source that Stated that she was dating someone, but they were never named. And then also even one of the friends that was in the home never has come forward or has, you know, decided that she doesn't want to be named. So I don't think the person not being named means that they've done something wrong. Right. Everyone has different responses to things like this, but that's what we know is that she may or may not have had a boyfriend. And the family never named him. And neither did law enforcement if she did.
- [31:46]
Maggie Freeling
So who would want to harm Cheryl? I mean, in this investigation, who were some of the players that they found?
- [31:55]
Jamie Albright
So pretty quickly, law enforcement realized that Cheryl's brother in law, Chuck, had a bit of a shady background. And it seems like they looked into him, but again, they were super tight lipped. Um, but I think as I look at this, the brother absolutely stands out. Just criminal past and possibly even a motive.
- [32:17]
Maggie Freeling
This is her sister's husband, the sister that was going to be there the next morning with the kids. So he would know this. He would know Cheryl's home, expecting her sister in the morning. We find out through the investigation that Cheryl has a life insurance policy that is going to her sister. And then we have the sister's husband, who I'm sure knows this and has a history of robbery.
- [32:46]
Jamie Albright
Right. We don't know exactly what other things law enforcement knew about Chuck, but the life insurance policy, I mean, that could be life changing for someone who needs money at the end of the day. Right. And I'm sure he knew she adored her niece and nephews. She wanted them to have a good life, she wanted them to have a good education. I read that on one of the posts about her. And so if he knew that if something happened to her, he'd have access to a lump sum of money. I mean, money can make people do pretty awful things.
- [33:17]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah. I mean, just the robbery, right? Like clearly he was in need of money. Like, no, a robbery doesn't necessarily mean you're gonna kidnap and kill somebody. But if you're desperate for money, desperate times, desperate measures.
- [33:33]
Jamie Albright
Absolutely. You just never know what someone would do.
- [33:36]
Maggie Freeling
Cheryl's family does not believe that the brother in law was involved, which doesn't surprise me at first with Scott Peterson, the family was adamant he was not involved. Right. Like you don't want to believe that he would do something like this. What do you know about him being cleared? Did he have an alibi?
- [33:56]
Jamie Albright
So that's something else that's a little bit unclear. Again, law enforcement was super tight lipped. They did say that they interviewed him, but that's kind of the only thing that we found out. We just saw on numerous media sources that he had a criminal history. And the one thing we saw was robbery and financial troubles. The life insurance policy was also $150,000, which is a lot of money. And so for whatever reason, the family did continue to support him and state that they don't believe he had anything to do with it.
- [34:27]
Maggie Freeling
I read there was inconsistencies with his alibi that were concerning, and when I was researching, I couldn't exactly find what those were, but I found that his alleged alibi was that he went to, like, a grocery store, and so they pulled the video to see if he was there. And it's unclear if he was or wasn't. They mentioned something about times were maybe off. But what I found is he was maybe at some sort of stupid, which does strike me as odd because it's one in the morning.
- [34:59]
Jamie Albright
Yeah.
- [34:59]
Maggie Freeling
But that's what I could find for what his alibi was. And then, of course, we had the officer just being like. I just always felt there was a. There were holes in it.
- [35:07]
Jamie Albright
Yeah. And that's the thing. I always wonder, too, if, you know, if he's married to the sister, she would know is he home or not? You know, unless, of course, you could sneak out in the middle of the night. But was she the alibi at one point and then not? There's a lot of, you know, like you said, information that we don't know. And I do think that law enforcement keeps this stuff tight in the beginning because they're hoping that, you know, they don't give it all to the public. But at this point, it'd be great if they release some more information so people know if there's other suspects that they should be looking at.
- [35:38]
Maggie Freeling
Let's talk about whoever called her from the gas station. There was no surveillance, video surveillance at the gas station, so we can't even look at videotape. 2001, are people using payphones? Like, is that odd that someone would call her from a payphone? Is that to intentionally hide their cell phone number? Like, what do you make of the payphone call?
- [36:00]
Jamie Albright
That seems very intentional to me. Again, 2002, people were using cell phones, but only about half of America. So it doesn't mean everyone had a cell phone. But I do think if you did have a phone, you're not going to make a call from that phone because it's going to trace back to you. To me, that also ties in with how clean her car was. It's like whoever did this was intentionally trying to cover their tracks. Which brings me back to Chuck. If you've had a criminal record or.
- [36:29]
Maggie Freeling
You'Ve been caught before, you would know you fingerprints are used, right?
- [36:34]
Jamie Albright
Yeah.
- [36:34]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah. I think he is a very interesting person. I mean, when you look at, you know, the people closest to a victim, he's right there, and I think he has the motive and the opportunity. He knew what she was up to. She still has a friend, one of the friends that was there that night that seems fairly active and still talking with media. One of the things I find interesting. Did her sister ever really talk with the media?
- [37:03]
Jamie Albright
I could not find much at all. There's things about the sister, but not any public statements the parents did.
- [37:11]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah, I think that kind of is interesting to me. You're a husband is a person of interest, and you kind of keep a tight lip. You're not seen in the media. I think the sister's still alive, but the friends out there advocating for Cheryl and not the sister just think it's interesting. It doesn't mean anything, but I think it's something interesting that the friend is still out there.
- [37:35]
Jamie Albright
Yeah. And, you know, again, someone not speaking doesn't mean that they're involved, because the other friend was like, I don't want to be named ever, you know, But I think that when you're married to the suspect and then you choose to not speak up is definitely more suspicious.
- [37:48]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah, absolutely. Do you think it's possible that it could have been, like, a patient's parents? I know there was a malpractice lawsuit at the time.
- [37:57]
Jamie Albright
Yeah. So there's a lot of information online about the malpractice suit. That's one nice thing, I guess, about legal cases you're able to review, and there was a settlement that was made. And, I mean, I'm a parent. If something happened, oh, my goodness, I would want someone held accountable. Right. But to think that a parent would then go and kidnap or take this woman and murder her, to me, seems really reaching, you know, in my opinion. And that settlement was a few years after her death, too. So I think it's important to note that it had just been filed at that time. So I don't know. I think that is a theory, But I'm guessing law enforcement looked into those families as well.
- [38:36]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah, I find that one to be maybe one of the least likely. Yeah. It just seems extreme. And from reading the files, I mean, was she. Is it clear if she was the Primary caretaker of the child or something went wrong. Like, is she the mal doer?
- [38:53]
Jamie Albright
Yeah, that is unclear. It's. The hospital is named and multiple physicians are named, so that is not 100% clear. And also she's a pediatrician. And then the hospital suits. So it made me wonder too, if you go to a doctor's office, it's one thing, but a hospital, you might see multiple physicians. So who knows if she was even the person that directly may have caused the harm. But when people seek legal counsel too, I mean, you're hoping for some sort of solution or resolution. But I don't think most people are gonna kill the doctor. Just a thought. Yeah, we've all had bad doctor experiences, I think, you know.
- [39:30]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah, absolutely. There is somebody actively working her case now. Do they have hope for solving it? What have you found in your research about this new investigator who runs the Facebook page? I mean, I rarely, if ever have seen an investigator run a Facebook page for a missing person.
- [39:49]
Jamie Albright
Yeah. So I actually learned about this case from Laura Norton, who hosts the Fall Line. She does a lot of work in cold case identification in Tennessee. And so the detective reached out to her. So I do believe that unfortunately, you know, they believe she's dead. I mean, she was declared dead, and so the hope seems to be in identifying and finding her remains. And I guess that's kind of what the detective is hoping to do by reaching out to Laura, because that's kind of her specialty. And at this point, there's nothing that is a match. But I do know that today we're learning a lot more about cold case identification and remains and how ethnicity can play a role and how we have a lot of misinformation about identification. So hopefully it's not completely unthinkable that her remains can be found.
- [40:41]
Maggie Freeling
More on this case after a quick break. From the most prolific serial killers to missing persons cases you've been invested in for years, to victims you've never heard of before, On Inhuman, a true crime podcast podcast, we delve into some of the craziest true crime cases to give you an in depth look at the stories behind the names. If you are fascinated by the world of true crime, dive in with us today by listening to Inhuman. Check out Inhuman on any podcast platform or go to inhuman podcast.com to learn more. Everyone has that friend who seems kind.
- [41:18]
Jamie Albright
Of perfect for Patty.
- [41:20]
Maggie Freeling
That friend was Desiree. Until one day I texted her and she was not getting the text. So I went to Instagram. She has no Instagram anymore. And Facebook. No Facebook anymore. Desiree was gone. And there was one person who knew the answer.
- [41:36]
Jamie Albright
I am a spiritual person, a magical.
- [41:39]
Maggie Freeling
Person, a witch, a gorgeous Brazilian influencer called Kat Torres, but who was hiding a secret from Wondery. Based on my smash hit podcast from Brazil comes a new series, Don't Cross.
- [41:53]
Rob
Cat, about a search that led me.
- [41:56]
Jamie Albright
To a mystery in a Texas suburb.
- [41:58]
Maggie Freeling
I'm calling to check on the two.
- [42:00]
Jamie Albright
Missing Brazilian girls, maybe get some undercover crew there.
- [42:03]
Maggie Freeling
The family are freaking out.
- [42:05]
Jamie Albright
They are lost. I'm Chico Felitti.
- [42:07]
Maggie Freeling
You can listen to Don't Cross Cat on the Wondery app or wherever you get your pipe podcasts.
- [42:17]
John
Hey, listeners, if you have a tip or theories about a case you want to share or a case of interest you'd like to recommend to us, then we want to hear from you. Email us casesenderfoot tv, DM us on Instagram avweekly, or give us a call at 770-54564. You can also join the conversation on our discord at Discord GG upandvanished. Now back to the show.
- [42:52]
Maggie Freeling
So one of the things about Cheryl is she has a significant identifying feature. So tell me about this digit and how that could potentially help identify her.
- [43:03]
Jamie Albright
So most of us have 10 fingers, but if you have an extra digit, it's a smaller attachment to your hand, but it's not a full finger. And that's definitely something that's identifiable because if there were remains found, they would be able to see that in those remains and it would stand out. To date, there's been no remains that match Cheryl that have been found, but that's something that definitely would stand out.
- [43:26]
Maggie Freeling
She also had a long birthmark on the side of her face, which, again, if she's skeletonized, doesn't really help. But back in the early investigation, it probably could have helped a lot.
- [43:37]
Jamie Albright
What's interesting is someone does respond to one of the posts on Facebook and say that her DNA is in codis, which is a national data database. But I always thought CODIS was for offenders. So I think that's the other thing about cases like this, because information's online, but we don't necessarily always know if it's accurate.
- [43:58]
Maggie Freeling
I've noticed this recently, and I think it has a lot to do with my eternal frustration that there is no unified system for missing and unidentified people. So, like, they put the DNA in like namus, but then there's also the Charlie Project and there's also the DOE Project.
- [44:16]
Jamie Albright
Right.
- [44:16]
Maggie Freeling
So I think CODIS is more of like, all law Enforcement access is that so I think that might be the reason it's in codis, because all law enforcement is not required to upload to any other website. I mean they're not required to upload anywhere, but if they do, I think that's kind of like the centralized cause we don't have one. There is a strategy to declaring somebody dead and this is often a something that loved ones of a missing person have to grapple with. Do we declare them dead which opens the case files, right?
- [44:51]
Jamie Albright
Yes, it varies by family. For some families, having an individual declared dead can assist with them collecting life insurance. And I'm not saying that was this family's goal, but it can. In Dr. Pearson's case, the life insurance company did not pay out even after she was declared dead. Sometimes they do want case files released and some families may just want closure, to be honest with you.
- [45:15]
Maggie Freeling
Yeah, I think it's sometimes it's that closure and I know in other cases it could close a case. Right. When you declare someone dead, the case can be closed and so oftentimes that allows investigative reports to be released to family members and the public. I don't believe that's what happened in this case since we don't have a lot of debt.
- [45:34]
Jamie Albright
Yeah, there was no police report that we could access and so yeah, the case is still being investigated. So in this case, I don't know the family's motive in declaring her dead. Both of her parents are deceased now and so it's really sad to think they did not get any type of closure on her case. And this detective is still hoping that people will reach out and contact and give some tips or anything that they know about this case.
- [46:00]
Maggie Freeling
So what is your take, Jamie? What do you think happened to Cheryl? Do you think it's solvable?
- [46:07]
Jamie Albright
I think the only way this case is solvable is if someone just speaks up. Someone comes out and says, I saw my husband, you know, come home at 2:30 and he was frantic and I think he did this, you know, and I'm not saying necessarily her sister. Someone else says that. Right. The car was inspected by the, you know, crime scene experts. They found nothing that was a dead end. So I don't know. I looked up Cheryl's house, by the way, on Google Maps. It's a really nice neighborhood, you know, so you hate to make that assumption too, but it seems like it's not somewhere this type of crime would typically happen, you know, so again it just goes back to someone probably knew her and that means someone probably knows something.
- [46:57]
Maggie Freeling
No charges have been filed against anyone in the disappearance of Cheryl, and I can't help but think if her case received more coverage and pressure when she went missing that we may not be here. Cheryl Lamont Pearson is described as being between 56 and 5 7, weighing about 160 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. Identifying marks include a long dark birthmark on the side of her face and a sixth digit on each of her hands. If you have any information about the disappearance of Cheryl Lamont Pearson, contact the Bartlett Police Department at 901-385-5558. There's a $41,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons or person responsible for Cheryl's disappearance. Y'all, thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of up and Vanish Weekly. Be sure to tune in next week as we dig into another new case. Until next time.
- [48:21]
Payne Lindsay
Up and Vanish Weekly is a production of Tenderfoot TV in association with Odyssey. Your hosts are Maggie Freeling and myself, Payne Lindsey. The show is written by Maggie Freeling, myself and John Street. Executive producers are Donald Albright and myself. Lead producer is John Street. Additional production by Meredith Steadman and Mike Rooney. Research for the series by Jamie Albright, Celicia Stanton and Carolyn Tallmadge. Edit and mix by Dylan Harrington and Sean Nurney. Supervising producer is Tracy Kaplan. Artwork by Byron McCoy. Original music by Makeup and Vanity Set. Special thanks to Oren Rosenbaum and the team at uta, Beck Media and Marketing and the Nord Group. For more podcasts like up and Advantage Weekly, search Tenderfoot TV on your favorite podcast app or visit us@Tenderfoot TV. Thanks for listening.
- [49:32]
Rob
Well, I just found out that my dad live a secret life as a hitman for the Chicago mafia for all these years. It doesn't make any sense. He was a firefighter paramedic. How the hell can he be a hitman? I need answers. So I am currently on a plane back to Chicago to interview everybody, anybody that knows anything about this. I'm in shock. This is absolutely insane. I just don't understand. I need to figure this out.
- [50:10]
Maggie Freeling
The shocking new true crime series Crook county from Tenderfoot TV and iHeart podcasts is available now. Binge the entire series for free on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.