Latest news with #ColdCase
1News
4 days ago
- 1News
Mona Blades: 'Steady stream' of tips 50 years after hitchhiker disappeared
Fifty years to the day after 18-year-old hitchhiker Mona Blades went missing while travelling from Hamilton to Hastings, police say they are still receiving a 'steady stream' of tips and information from the public. On the morning of May 31, 1975, Blades hopped into the back of an orange Datsun station wagon and was never heard from again. The cold case into the suspected murder, one of New Zealand's most notorious, remains open. Not one piece of physical evidence has ever been found, and her body was never located. But Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Yardley says, five decades later, police are continuing to seek information regarding her disappearance. ADVERTISEMENT Blades' disappearance was the subject of an episode of TVNZ's Cold Case in 2018, and Yardley said a 'steady stream' of information had been coming in from members of the public since. 'The information is assessed and reviewed as it is received for potential further lines of inquiry, which police can follow up on.' He said no case is ever fully closed, 'and it is not too late to provide Mona's family with answers they have long wanted". Noting the anniversary of her disappearance, Yardley said: 'It has been 50 years since Mona went missing in 1975, and we would like to acknowledge her family who have been left with a number of questions around her disappearance.' The sightings, suspects, and speculation A stretch of road Mona Blades had been hitchhiking on when she went missing. (Source: 1News) On the day she disappeared, she was dropped off on Cambridge Road (State Highway 1), Hamilton, early in the morning. She was wearing light green slacks, a green rugby jersey under a fawn jersey, a black duffle coat and brown shoes with yellow laces. ADVERTISEMENT Fifty years missing: Revisiting one of NZ's most chilling cold cases - Watch on TVNZ+ She was carrying a hitchhiker's brown pack and shoulder bag containing a set of colourful plastic tumblers as a birthday present for her nephew, who she was planning to visit in Hastings over the Queen's Birthday weekend as a surprise for his birthday. At around 10am she was seen getting into the back of the orange Datsun. A poster showing the orange Datsun. (Source: 1News) Later that morning, a fencing contractor spotted the vehicle parked about 200 metres down a dirt road off the Napier-Taupō highway. He claimed to have seen a woman matching Blades' description in the back, with a middle-aged man in the front. When he drove past a short time later, the car was empty. Blades' disappearance sparked what was, at the time, one of the country's largest manhunts. ADVERTISEMENT Hundreds of police officers from Taupō, Rotorua, Hamilton and Auckland combed a 200km stretch of highway between Tokoroa and Napier. People search during the 1975 manhunt for Mona Blades. (Source: 1News) But nothing was ever found. More than 500 suspects, many of whom owned or had driven orange Datsuns, were investigated. Auckland police tried to make the case that John Freeman, a man who had rented an orange Datsun the same weekend Blades went missing, was responsible. Two weeks after police announced they were searching for a similar car, Freeman shot and wounded a student at St Cuthbert's College in Auckland before killing himself. John Freeman, one of the suspects in the Mona Blades murder. (Source: 1News) Another person of interest for police was Hamilton man Charlie Hughes, who had since moved to Australia. He has vehemently denied he had anything to do with the alleged murder, and said the constant doubt over his innocence ruined his life. ADVERTISEMENT Charlie Hughes was another suspect in the case. (Source: 1News) In 2003, police investigated a report that Blades' name had been etched on a concrete garage floor at a house in Huntly with fears it could be a makeshift grave. it turned out to be a joke and the former property owner apologised. In early 2012, police dug up the concrete floor of a Kawerau house's laundry room in an attempt to find her body. Nothing was found. Blades' disappearance was then the subject of a 2018 episode of TVNZ's Cold Case, where investigators reassessed every aspect of the file. Experts believed the original investigation had focused too heavily on the orange Datsun. They also believed witnesses may have been misled by the photo of Blades issued by police as her hairstyle was different. A mockup showing Blades as she was believed to have looked when she went missing. (Source: NZ Police ) The investigation also concluded Blades spent longer in Taupō than initially thought, with multiple sightings being made. ADVERTISEMENT Inspector Mark Loper, who led the inquiry then, believed Blades did not leave Taupō alive. Detectives also said they had discovered Blades had some links to gangs in Auckland and Hamilton. Those gangs might have been on the roads travelling to a gathering that weekend. A red car that could have been travelling with a bike gang was also a focus of the new inquiry. A witness had claimed they saw Blades get into a red Toyota station wagon outside the bottle shop at the Spa Hotel. Another said they saw two people carrying a rolled-up piece of carpet into the back of a vehicle matching the description. A red station wagon similar to the one witnesses had described. (Source: NZ Police) However, despite a steady stream of tips and possible leads, no physical evidence, suspects able to be charged, or body have been found. It's now been 50 years since Blades left Hamilton, and her family, as well as police, are still waiting for answers. Sgt Yardley said this week: 'If you have information that may assist in our investigation not yet reported to us, please contact police.' ADVERTISEMENT Anyone with information on the disappearance of Mona Blades was asked to call police on 105.
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Sirens' Dethroned In Netflix's Top 10 List By A New Show
Sirens Sirens has had some time on top of Netflix's top 10 list for a while now, performing well, but as a miniseries, it probably doesn't need to go on past this initial run (plus one of its leads needs to go be the new Supergirl). Now, the show has been unseated by something rather strange. It is not WWE RAW, which is actually in a surprising third place behind both Sirens and the new #1, Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders. Uh, what? Yeah, this happened. Here's the synopsis of what happened there: This happened in 1982, and I'll admit that I never knew this took place. It was a series of poisoning deaths in Chicago where people died from taking cyanide-laced Tylenol, something that was obviously not a factory defect. The most chilling part of all of this is that no one was ever found responsible for what was at least seven deaths from the poisonings. Top 10 The new Cold Case series is the length of a movie split into three parts, about 120 minutes in total. I'm not exactly sure why Netflix does this instead of just making it a movie, but it's been a tradition. Another high-profile entry in the Cold Case series was the murder of Jon Benet Ramsey, as the series focuses on well, Cold Cases that went unsolved, as the name suggests. I just finished Sirens which I thought was okay. It has good performances from its stars, albeit mired in what was not the greatest plotline and I think it's going to be an ultimately forgettable series. Even if it wasn't a miniseries, I would not be in favor of it returning for season 2. Another new entry to the list comes in at #4, She the People, a Tyler Perry show that spans eight 25-minute episodes as a quick watch, and one that seems to be angling for more series past that. It's about a politician, her 'wacky family' and a bodyguard she seems to have a crush on. It's a comedy, in case that wasn't clear. Further down the list, we have the overperforming The Four Seasons which was greenlit for a second season already. Then the 100%-rated murder mystery, Secrets We Keep, which I'm going to say is probably a 60% at best after having watched it. But hey, make your own judgment. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Newsweek
26-05-2025
- Newsweek
What to Know About Robert Richardson and the 1982 Chicago Tylenol Murders
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors The latest of Netflix's "Cold Case" docuseries, "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders", dives into the killings of seven people in Chicago who were poisoned by cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. The star witness of the docuseries is James Lewis - formerly Robert Richardson - who at one point was the FBI's chief suspect for the murders. While Lewis spent over a decade in prison for extortion, authorities could never definitively tie him to the killings. Read More: Alix Earle Joins Dancing with the Stars: Everything Else to Know About S34 James Lewis, formerly Robert Richardson, in "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders". James Lewis, formerly Robert Richardson, in "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders". Netflix What to Know About the 1982 Tylenol Murders In 1982, in the space of mere days, seven people died in Chicago from cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. Cyanide is a highly toxic liquid. When ingested, cyanide affects the body's ability to use oxygen. It acts fast and is often deadly. In the panic that followed the deaths, millions across the nation were terrified at the idea of taking Tylenol or any other over-the-counter drugs. One of the largest criminal investigations in US history tried and failed to find the answer to who had poisoned the pills. Who Were the Tylenol Murder Victims? We only know for sure about seven victims of the Tylenol murders. There was 12-year-old Mary Kellerman, 27-year-old postal worker Adam Janus, Adam's brother Stanley Janus, Stanley's wife Theresa Janus, 31-year-old Mary McFarland, 35-year-old Paula Prince, and 27-year-old Mary "Lynn" Reiner. However, it is believed that - because of the difficulty of detecting cyanide poisoning without a specific test - others, especially elderly people, died from the pills without anyone ever identifying the cause. What to Know About Robert Richardson and the Tylenol Murder Case The former Robert Richardson - who has since changed his name to James Lewis according to the Chicago Tribune - has consistently claimed he was innocent of the 1982 murders and that he was in New York with his wife when the pills would have been tampered with. The FBI was only ever able to prove extortion after Lewis demanded $1 million from Johnson & Johnson to stop the killings. He was convicted of extortion and served 12 years of a 20-year sentence. Who was Responsible for the Tylenol Murders? To this day, there is no definitive word on who is responsible for lacing Tylenol with cyanide and killing seven people in Chicago in 1982. "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders" directors Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines, in a statement to Tudum, wrote, "With 'Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders', we're taking a fresh look at this complex, haunting puzzle, shedding new light through overlooked evidence, unheard testimonies, and troubling inconsistencies. Our hope is that by expanding the narrative, we might bring the families of the victims a step closer to the answers they've awaited for decades." More TV: Netflix's 'Sirens' Filming Locations: Where the Dark Comedy Comes to Life When is Season 2 of' The Pitt' Coming Out? What to Know About Plot, Cast
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Telegraph
Human remains found in village ‘may be father who vanished in 2007'
The mother of a man who went missing in 2007 has said she is 'hoping for some peace' after human remains were found in a Cambridgeshire village close to where he disappeared. Terry McSpadden, a 24-year-old father of two, was last seen on March 2 that year after spending the evening in the Locomotive pub in Wisbech, near the border with Norfolk. On Sunday morning, police were called to Lynn Road in Wisbech after partial human remains were found by a passer-by. A Norfolk Constabulary spokesman said: 'Officers are exploring a number of lines of inquiry. The cordon is still in place on Lynn Road and will remain for some time.' Helen Thrower, Mr McSpadden's mother, confirmed that police had contacted the family about the find. She said: 'It's too early to say whether it's Terry or not. Me and other people whose family members are missing, we're hoping for some peace. Until we get some identification, we can't know.' Cold case detectives launched a fresh appeal for information about Mr McSpadden's disappearance, which was initially treated as a missing persons case but was later considered a murder, in February this year. Mr McSpadden's body was never found and his hand-painted black mountain bike, which he used for local transport, was never recovered. A man was charged with murder in 2011, but the case against him was dismissed in court. Later reviews of the case and a 2014 CrimeStoppers appeal with a £5,000 reward did not generate further significant information. Andy Guy, Norfolk Constabulary's cold case manager, said about the fresh appeal: 'Terry's family, including his mother and two children, have never had closure. They have no idea of where he is, what happened to him, or why. They have lived with this grief and uncertainty for 18 years. 'While this is a long time ago, I have no doubt there are people out there who do know, or suspect, what happened to Terry. 'I understand that people may not have wished to engage with the police in 2007, but having knowledge of what happened to Terry may lay heavy on someone's conscience, and for Terry, his mother, and children, now would be the time to disclose that information. 'Terry was an attentive and loving father, which makes any hypothesis that he simply upped and left the area all the more unlikely, and there has been no proof of life after March 2 2007.'
The Independent
21-05-2025
- The Independent
Mother of man missing since 2007 wants ‘peace' after unidentified remains found
The mother of a man who went missing in 2007 has said she is 'hoping for some peace' after human remains were found close to where he disappeared. Terry McSpadden, a then 24-year-old father of two, was last seen on March 2 of that year after spending the evening in the Locomotive pub in Wisbech, close to the Norfolk- Cambridgeshire border. On Sunday morning, police were called to Lynn Road, Walton Highway, in Wisbech after partial human remains were found by a passer-by. A Norfolk Police spokesperson said: 'Officers are exploring a number of lines of inquiry. 'The cordon is still in place on Lynn Road and will remain for some time.' Helen Thrower, Mr McSpadden's mother, confirmed that police had contacted the family about the find. She said: 'It's too early to say whether it's Terry or not. 'Me and other people whose family members are missing, we're hoping for some peace. Until we get some identification, we can't know.' Cold case detectives launched a fresh appeal for information about the 24-year-old's disappearance, which was initially treated as a missing person's case but was later considered a murder case, in February this year. Mr McSpadden's body was never found and his hand-painted black mountain bike, which he used for local transport, was never recovered. A man was charged with murder in 2011 but the case against him was dismissed in court. Later reviews of the case and a 2014 CrimeStoppers appeal with a £5,000 reward did not generate further significant information. Andy Guy, Norfolk Police's cold case manager, said about the fresh appeal: 'Terry's family including his mother and two children have never had closure. 'They have no idea of where he is, what happened to him, or why. 'They have lived with this grief and uncertainty for 18 years. 'While this is a long time ago I have no doubt there are people out there who do know, or suspect, what happened to Terry. 'I understand that people may not have wished to engage with the police in 2007 but having knowledge of what happened to Terry may lay heavy on someone's conscience and for Terry, his mother, and children now would be the time to disclose that information. 'Terry was an attentive and loving father which makes any hypothesis that he simply upped and left the area all the more unlikely and there has been no proof of life after 2 March 2007.'
