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Small Town Mysteries

Small Town Mysteries

By: Kate Christine and Rachael
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3 lifelong friends who like to dish on true crime and the kind of drama that only small towns can provide 💀© 2026 Small Town Mysteries Social Sciences True Crime World
Episodes
  • The Curious Death of Cindy James: Part 2
    Jan 27 2026

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    Take a listen to Part 1 from last week if you want all the background info on this case!

    Before Cindy died, she reported about 100 incidents of various kinds of harassment/stalking to police...but police could never find any evidence of it.

    Cindy first reported instances of harassment/stalking in 1982. In the 7 years leading up to her death, Cindy reported about 100 incidents which consisted of harassment, stalking, vandalism, home invasions, and physical attacks. Cindy went missing on May 25, 1989. Two weeks later, on June 8, 1989, she was discovered deceased and in the yard of an abandoned house, with her hands and feet tied behind her back. She had been drugged and strangled. Cindy’s cause of death is heavily debated.

    Spoiler: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) determined that Cindy had tormented herself and self orchestrated all of the incidents. She then elaborately committed suicide but staged it to look like a murder. Many strongly disagree with this theory, including her family, who believe she was murdered.

    This week, we wrap up some stalking incidents and discuss Cindy's disappearance, as well as theories on what the heck happened to Cindy James.

    Trigger warnings: stalking, abuse, and animal cruelty.

    Sources:

    1) https://unsolved.com/gallery/cindy-james/
    2) https://evelazarus.com/the-bizarre-case-of-cindy-james/
    3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Cindy_James

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    46 mins
  • The Curious Death of Cindy James: Part 1
    Jan 20 2026

    Send us a text

    Before Cindy died, she reported about 100 incidents of various kinds of harassment/stalking to police...but police could never find any evidence of it.

    Cindy first reported instances of harassment/stalking in 1982. In the 7 years leading up to her death, Cindy reported about 100 incidents which consisted of harassment, stalking, vandalism, home invasions, and physical attacks. Cindy went missing on May 25, 1989. Two weeks later, on June 8, 1989, she was discovered deceased and in the yard of an abandoned house, with her hands and feet tied behind her back. She had been drugged and strangled. Cindy’s cause of death is heavily debated.

    Spoiler: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) determined that Cindy had tormented herself and self orchestrated all of the incidents. She then elaborately committed suicide but staged it to look like a murder. Many strongly disagree with this theory, including her family, who believe she was murdered.

    For part 1, we are mostly covering the incidents leading up to her death. Tune in next week to part 2 to hear about her disappearance and theories on what the heck happened to Cindy James.

    Trigger warnings: stalking, abuse, and animal cruelty.

    Sources:

    1) https://unsolved.com/gallery/cindy-james/
    2) https://evelazarus.com/the-bizarre-case-of-cindy-james/
    3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Cindy_James

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    33 mins
  • The Pike County Massacre
    Jan 13 2026

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    When Bobby Jo Manley arrived at her sister’s home on April 22, 2016 in Sunfish Township, Ohio, she expected to go in, feed the pets, give them some love, and then leave – probably see her sister, as well. Socialize a bit.

    What Bobby Jo found would change the trajectory of her life forever – and the lives of dozens of others. Bobby Jo first found two bodies inside the home, immediately calling 9-1-1. She then found two additional bodies in a separate trailer on the property – and after calling her brother, panicked, her brother James arrived and tried to find their sister. What he found instead was a THIRD crime scene, with three more bodies. A fourth crime scene was identified 5 hours later, in a home in nearby Pikeville.

    There were 8 victims in total – and one glaring connection between them. All 8 victims were either born into or married into the Rhoden family. And all 8 of them were dead.

    Sources:

    1)https://web.archive.org/web/20161028144512/http://www.kfvs12.com/story/33446144/pike-county-drug-cartel-speculation-were-wearing-that-label-now
    2) https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/04/25/exclusive-we-aint-no-revenge-our-hearts-pike-co-family-says/83517330/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z118036u115936d00----v118036&gca-ft=249&gca-ds=sophi
    3) https://www.wishtv.com/news/family-tree-released-of-8-ohio-shooting-victims/
    4) https://www.wlwt.com/article/no-arrests-made-in-pike-county-slayings/3564698
    5) https://www.newsweek.com/ohio-shooting-eight-family-members-killed-451348
    6) https://abcnews.go.com/US/ohio-family-killings-evidence-consistent-cockfighting-found-scenes/story?id=38674426
    7) https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/jake-wagner-back-in-pike-county-court-for-sudden-hearing
    8) https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2024/04/15/what-happened-in-pike-county-in-2016/73293649007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z119036d00----v119036d--xx--b--xx--&gca-ft=195&gca-ds=sophi
    9) https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/state/2021/04/22/jake-wagner-rhoden-family-homicides-pike-county-ohio-pleads-guilty/7333052002/
    10) https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/09/10/legal-analyst-30-year-sentence-conspirator-pike-county-slayings-fair/8281747002/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z119036d00----v119036d--xx--b--xx--&gca-ft=202&gca-ds=sophi
    11) https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/April-2016/Pike-County-Multiple-Homicide-Investigation
    12) https://www.foxnews.com/us/autopsies-completed-in-shooting-massacre-that-killed-8-ohio-relatives

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    28 mins
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