In this episode of Paper Ghosts: The Ozarks, a deeper exploration is made into the investigation surrounding Dana Stidham's murder. An unsettling witness account emerges of Dana's potential involvement in a violent altercation at a party. The spotlight shifts to Jack Linney, a local man with a history of harassing and stalking women, as a key suspect following the discovery of a body near an elderly couple's home.
The investigation intensifies as Linney's alibi and recorded interviews arouse suspicion of his involvement in Dana's disappearance. This pivotal episode examines the investigation's refocused efforts and provides a chilling glimpse into the disturbing evidence surrounding this tragic case.
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Jack Linney, an older local man, has become a primary suspect in the investigation due to Margo Sanger-Katz's reporting on his extensive history of sexually harassing and stalking women, which has escalated to dangerous encounters like following them on highways and even groping them. Sanger-Katz notes that Linney suffered a brain injury that may have diminished his self-control, contributing to his unchecked behavior.
An unnamed witness provides a disturbing account, detailing being threatened by a blondish girl on "the hill" for inquiring about the missing Dana Stidham. The witness believes Dana attended a party where a fight broke out involving swapping girlfriends, leading to Dana potentially being stabbed. Georgia Stidham, likely related to Dana, referenced someone from Dana's workplace being present that night.
Linda and Randy Groeller, while walking near their Missouri home to collect cans, made a grisly discovery - a human body near a deserted house, lying on a concrete slab. Sanger-Katz highlights the location's proximity, just 20 minutes from where Dana's body was previously found in Bella Vista.
As Mike McMillan's suspect status diminished, investigators re-interviewing witnesses uncovered Jack Linney's name and troubling history for the first time. Linney, who struggled maintaining employment likely due to harassment incidents, initially provided an alibi but was later placed in Bella Vista when Dana disappeared. Recorded interviews suggested Linney's potential involvement, prompting a shift in the investigation's focus toward him as the likelier suspect behind Dana's murder.
1-Page Summary
Jack Linney, a local older individual, has become a key suspect due to his egregious pattern of sexual harassment.
Linney's history of harassing behavior is extensive and troubling. He has a documented trail of serial sexual harassment, including picking up hitchhikers and harassing women in stores. His actions have escalated to more dangerous encounters, such as following women on the highway.
Specifically, Linney has been seen following women on the highway, and there have been multiple reports of harassment in other stores in the Bella Vista area. He has not only attempted to pull women over on highways but also groped them.
He exhibits a consistent pattern of stalking behaviors, which involve wearing a hood over his face in stores, ogling women, circling stores, sneaking up ...
Key suspect: Jack Linney
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An unnamed woman provides a harrowing account of being threatened when she went seeking answers about her missing friend, Dana Stidham. After being directed to a location known as the hill, the witness encountered four individuals, including a man identified as Mike, who had a questionable reputation. Upon inquiring about Dana, the woman received a chilling warning from a blondish girl who was there—imply that harm could come to the witness if she continued to probe into Dana's disappearance, much like what allegedly happened to Dana.
The witness has recounted a disturbing series of events involving Dana Stidham attending a man cave in Bella Vista, where a sex party took place and men purportedly decided to swap girlfriends. According to the unna ...
Witness claims Dana was at sex party where fight occurred
An unsettling find has occurred near the home of an elderly Missouri couple, who stumbled upon a human body under shocking circumstances.
Linda and Randy Groeller, residing near Indian Creek in Anderson, Missouri, were engaged in a seemingly innocuous activity when they made a gruesome discovery. The couple, devoted to their church, was walking along Oscar Talley Road to collect cans when curiosity led them to investigate a deserted house's grassy surrounds.
During their search, Randy was taken aback to find a human skull among the grass. The couple's investigation came to a chilling conclusion when they uncovered the rest of the body resting on a concrete slab, braced against the decrepit structure.
Body discovered near elderly couple's home
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In a surprising development, the focus of an ongoing investigation has shifted as a new suspect, Jack Linney, with a history of sexual harassment, has emerged.
While re-evaluating the Phillips Grocery case, investigators uncovered a new lead as they re-interviewed co-workers and employees. Jack Linney's name came up for the first time in connection with the case. He had not been previously mentioned publicly concerning the crime. It was uncovered that Linney had a troubling past, specifically in 1993—four years after Dana's murder—when he was known for sexual harassment.
Linney, who was employed in miscellaneous construction jobs, seemed overqualified for his positions and had difficulty maintaining employment, likely due to his history of harassment incidents.
With Mike McMillan's status as a suspect diminishing, Jack Linney became the primary focus of law enforcement. They began to see him as a much better fit for the profile of Dana's murderer and started to investigate whether he could be connected to other homicides in the Ozarks.
Initially, Linney had provi ...
Case takes remarkable turn with new suspect
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