Episode 594: The Disappearance of the Springfield Three

The mysterious disappearance of the Springfield Three remains one of the most baffling cases to this day. The events unfolded as follows:

On June 6, 1992, high school graduates Susie Streeter and Stacey McCall had plans to celebrate graduation by going to several parties with their friend Janelle Kirby.

After graduating from Kickapoo High School at the Hammonds Student Center, Suzy Streeter and her best friend, 18-year-old Stacey McCall, headed home to change clothes and then attend graduation parties. Their first stop was at Janelle Kirby’s home just outside Springfield in Battlefield, Missouri. From there, they hopped to multiple parties, planning to end up at a hotel in Branson and visit a water park the next day. However, plans changed, and instead of getting a hotel, Suzy and Stacey, with Janelle, decided to attend a few more graduation parties and head to Branson in the morning.

After the graduation ceremony, the three girls made a stop at Susie's house, where Susie was excited to show Stacey her new king-size waterbed.

After moving between parties, the trio ended up back at Janelle’s house around 2 AM. Faced with a crowded house and limited space, Suzy and Stacey decided to spend the night at Suzy's home, where she was keen to show off her graduation present – a new king-sized waterbed.

Sometime after 2 AM, Janelle waved goodbye to Susie and Stacey as they left her house, which would be the last time she saw them.

Janelle Kirby watched as her friends pulled out of her driveway in the early hours, never suspecting it would be the last time she'd see them.

Cheryl Streeter, Susie's mother, was at home alone that night working on home renovation projects.

Cheryl, a dedicated and reliable single mother who had a strong relationship with her daughter Susie, stayed bac ...

The article provides an overview of the personal histories and relationships of Cheryl Streeter, her daughter Susie Streeter, and Susie's best friend Stacey McCall prior to their mysterious disappearance.

Susie Streeter was a 19-year-old high school graduate who had a learning disability and struggled socially, but was very close with her mother Cheryl.

Susie Streeter, born in March 1973, faced social challenges due to a learning disability, feeling like an outsider with few friends. Despite this, she forged a strong bond with her mother, Cheryl. Susie had been living with her older brother Bart during her senior year but moved back with her mother after a heated argument just months before her graduation.

Susie's parents had divorced when she was younger, and she had a somewhat troubled relationship with her stepfather.

The family, originally from Seattle, moved to Springfield in 1980. Cheryl eventually married Don Levitt, but the relationship fell apart, ending in divorce in 1989. This left Susie with a complicated relationship to her stepfather, who disappeared from town after the split.

Susie's best friend was Stacey McCall, an 18-year-old graduate who was described as bubbly and outgoing.

Susie's consistent source of companionship through the years, Stacey McCall, with her cheerful and vibrant personality, was a stark contrast to Susie's quieter demeanor. Stacey loved fashion, tanning, and music, favoring bands like Metallica and country artist Garth Brooks.

Cheryl Streeter was a single mother and hairstylist who had a strong, protective relationship with her daughter Susie.

Cheryl Levitt, a hairstylist by profession, was a dedicated and supportive single mother to Susie. After her divorce, Cheryl put much of her energy into renovating their home, a task she undertook with ingenuity and determination, educating herself in various home improvement skills. Despite having a few close friends, Cheryl led a private ...

An overview of the police investigation into the disappearance of three women reveals a series of missteps and hindrances, particularly regarding the condition of the crime scene.

When the three women did not return home, friends and family members frantically searched for them and notified the police.

Janelle Kirby and her boyfriend Mike Henson went to Cheryl Streeter's house because Susie Streeter and Stacy McCall didn’t show up in the morning as planned. Meanwhile, Stacy's parents, Janice and Stu McCall, started making hospital rounds, showing pictures of their daughter. Friends and family distributed over 20,000 missing persons flyers in a desperate attempt to find the missing women.

Janelle noticed the glass globe on the porch light had been shattered, though the bulb was intact, and the front door was unlocked. Inside, Susie's dog Cinnamon was agitated, and all three women's purses were piled on the steps. Open cigarette packets also indicated they hadn't taken them when leaving the house. The signs of Cheryl and Susie's routine, like an unmade bed, jewelry by the bathroom sink, and a TV turned on to static, implied an unexpected disappearance.

The crime scene at the Streeter home was quickly contaminated, as concerned friends and family members entered the home and handled potential evidence.

Springfield police officer Rick Bookout responded to the call and arrived at the already crowded driveway. The house was filled with concerned friends and family looking for signs of the women. Unfortunately, the crime scene quickly became compromised as the early responders did not initially recognize the importance of preserving evidence.

A significant oversight o ...

In the puzzling case of the missing Springfield three, law enforcement and private investigators have considered several suspects and examined numerous theories, but concrete evidence remains elusive.

Detectives initially focused on Susie's ex-boyfriend Mike Kovacs and Cheryl's ex-husbands as potential suspects, but could not find evidence to implicate them.

Detectives considered Susie’s ex-boyfriend, Mike Kovacs, a suspect at first due to their tumultuous past when Kovacs admitted that their relationship had been somewhat violent when they dated as teenagers. Although he claimed they had been on good terms since their relationship ended, and he had an alibi for the night of their disappearance. Cheryl’s ex-husbands were also considered, especially her second husband, Don Lovett, who left her in debt and disappeared in 1989, but nothing concrete linked him to the case.

Investigators also received a tip about a suspicious "transient" man seen near the Streeter home around the time of the disappearance, but he was never identified or located.

The transient man, observed near the Streeter home around the time of the disappearance, topped the suspect list alongside Bart Streeter and Kovacs at one point. However, interest in this individual subsided as he vanished without a trace. Psychic Ruth claimed this transient was not connected to the abduction, but her information, much of which had been reported by the media, did not aid the investigators.

Detectives later zeroed in on convicted criminal Robert Cox as a prime suspect due to his history of violent crimes against women.

Cox became a primary suspect for detectives because of his criminal past. His conviction in Florida for the murder of 19-year-old Sharon Zellers, which was later overturned due to insufficient evidence, and subsequent convictions for kidnapping and assaults, painted a picture of a violent man capable of committing the crime. When Cox moved back to Springfield shortly before the disappearances and could not explain his actions on the night in question convincingly, suspicion grew.

Cox claimed to have knowledge of the women's whereabouts but refused to provide any informat ...

The protracted absence and mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Springfield Three has left a lasting impact on the victims' families, who cling to the hope of resolving the case and finding closure.

The disappearance of the Springfield Three devastated the victims' families, who held out hope for years that their loved ones would be found.

Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart articulate a shared yearning for closure on behalf of the victims' families. As the case persists unsolved after more than three decades, there exists a belief that resolution is still within reach. The families have faced profound devastation due to the continued absence of their loved ones and the lack of progress in the investigation. Desperate for some modicum of peace, Janice McCall stated the agony in the prospect of enduring endless days without resolution.

Cheryl's father Jim Williams died in 1997 without seeing the case solved, and Susie's brother Bart Streeter ultimately left Springfield due to the painful memories.

Cheryl Levitt's father, Jim Williams, carried the burden of certainty that Robert Cox was responsible for his daughter's disappearance but passed away in 1997 without any confirmation or closure. Susie's brother, Bart Streeter, found living in Springfield unbearable due to the harrowing recollections of the tragedy, prompting him to quit his job and leave the city.

The families continued to distribute missing persons flyers and hold vigils to keep the case in the public eye, but no new information emerged over the decades.

Despite the staleness of leads and the dwindling of active investigations, the families persevered in efforts to keep their missing loved ones in the public consciousness. Annual vigils and continuous distribution of missing persons flyers embody their unwavering commitment to drawing attention to the case.

With the investigation going cold and the case eventually being labeled a "cold case," the victims' families have been left without any answers or closure regarding the fate of their loved ones.

The elusiveness of a resolution has marked an unbearable weight for the loved ones of Cheryl, Susie, and Stacey, as they grapple with the uncertainty and helplessness of an unresolved fate. The case's transition into a "cold case" status has not quenched the desire for answers; rather, it has intensified the pain of not knowing.

The continued mystery and lack of resolution has been incredibly difficult for the families to bear, as they are ...