Sleepless in Sallow Falls

Sallow Falls FM Radio Broadcast, October 18th, 2004

"That was Bruised Hearts with their brand new single, Nowhere to Hide. Be sure to tune in next week, we'll be giving away tickets to one lucky caller to see them live in concert at Rocket Arena! Woah, that sounded like the beginning of one of those classic Sallow Falls thunderstorms I’ve heard so much about! Now we're just about wrapped up for the night but before I sign off, I think we've got time for one more caller."

"Hey there, caller you're on with Laurie Lennon, who am I speaking with?"

"Mark."

"Well, hello there Mark, how are you doing tonight?"

"I'm ok."

"I am so glad to hear that! Now Mark, sweetie, how old are you if you don't mind me asking?"

"Eight and three quarters."

"Eight and three quarters, why you're practically a grown up aren't you?"

"No, not until I'm ten, that's double digits."

"Ah yes, what am I thinking, ten is the new official grown up age, I do apologize. Now honey, what is it you called to talk about tonight?"

"I need to find a date for my mom."

"Ooh, doesn't this sound familiar! Well, sugar, you called the right station, I just adore playing matchmaker and this sounds just like a scene from my favorite movie! Now, why don't you tell me a little bit about your mom?"

"She's the best mom in the whole world! She's smart and pretty and she almost always remembers to the cut the crusts off my grilled cheese."

"My, she sounds like a real catch! Men of Sallow Falls y'all better listen up! What do you think she might be lookin' for in a date?"

"Um, someone who doesn’t yell at her and always takes the trash out. Mom and dad always argued when he didn't take the trash out.”

"No yelling and always takes the trash out, sounds like every woman’s dream! Hey Mark, can I ask where your dad is now?"

"He's in Tacoma."

"Wow, Tacoma’s pretty far. I bet you miss him a whole lot huh?”

“He's not far, I just saw him yesterday ."

"Oh, so he's down for a visit?"

“No, me and mom visit him. Sometimes twice in one day.”

"Well honey, are you sure he's in Tacoma? That's quite a ways away from our little town of Sallow Falls, Indiana."

"No, he's here. He's just in Tacoma and the doctor said he can't wake up."

"Oh I see, he's in a coma. Well I am so sorry to hear that hon. Would you like to talk about what happened?"

"......."

"Mark, are you still there?"

"No, I don't wanna talk about it."

"Ok, then we don't have to talk about it, but can I ask you just one more question?"

"I guess so."

"How long has your dad been in a coma?"

"Um, four, five, six…thirteen days I think."

"Thirteen days? Ok... and am I right in assumin' that your mommy and daddy are still married to each other?"

"Yes."

"Well hon, I know it must be very sad not having your father around, I can't imagine what you must be feeling, but I'm sure, like you, your mom still loves him very much and doesn't want to date someone else."

"No she does, she——“

“Mark, honey, did I lose ya?"

"......."

"......."

"Well, folks it seems like the storm might've——"

"Oh goodness! Mark? Who was that, was that your mom screamin'?"

"......."

"Ma'am are you ok, can you hear me?"

"......."

"Mark, honey are you—— that sounds like a smoke alarm, is—is there a fire? Mark? Mark if you can hear me please say something sweetie."

"Help me, Miss Laurie, I'm scared."

"I'm right here Mark, I'm gonna call 911, just stay on the line ok. Are you hurt?"

"I'm— the closet— mom—hurt."

"Ok, can you tell me what——is that a baby crying? Mark? Mark, are you still there?"

"................."

"We're sorry, number you have dialed has been disconnected or is no longer in service."

CONFIDENTIAL POLICE FILE (Transcript of Police Interview)

Officer Abbott: "This interview is being recorded. This is officer Don Abbott at the 32nd precinct. Miss can you please state your name and age for the record."

Lennon: "Laurie Ann Lennon, 26 years old."

Officer Abbott: "Ok Miss Lennon, why don't we start from the beginning."

Lennon: "Sir, with all due respect, I've already given my statement twice to two different officers. There's a little boy, Mark, a baby, and a woman, possibly his mother, out there hurt somewhere. Shouldn't we be all hands on deck, scrambling the jets or something?"

Officer Abbot: "I understand the urgency Miss Lennon, but we can't help anyone without all the information, so---"

Lennon: "But I've already given y'all the information twice! Surely you've had time to trace the call by now and get a location?"

Officer Abbott: "Miss, I can assure you that we have our best officers working on it, but right now we really need to take your official statement on the record. Trust me when I say this is the best thing you can do for them. Now, if you wouldn't mind starting from the beginning?"

Lennon: "Fine. I was just about to wrap up my segment, the storm was just starting and I wanted to get home before the worst of it hit, but I decided to take one more caller."

Officer Abbott: "The little boy, Mark?"

Lennon: "Yes, he called because he wanted my help finding a date for his mom."

Officer Abbott: "Isn't that the exact plot to a nineties chick flick?"

Lennon: "Yes, I know what it sounds like, but I'm telling you that's what happened."

Officer Abbott: "Alright... so what else did this Mark say?"

Lennon: "He told me about his mom, how she always remembers to cut the crusts off his grilled cheese, um, he said his dad has been in a coma for thirteen days, wouldn't tell me how it happened. I figured he was upset about his dad and just wanted someone to talk to ya know, but he froze up when I started asking questions. After a few minutes, it sounded like he'd gotten cut off and I assumed the storm had dropped the call. Then I heard the woman scream. It was like a horror movie, it chilled me all the way through. I've never heard someone scream like that before. I tried to get Mark back on the line, make sure he was ok, and then when I heard what sounded like a smoke alarm I was worried there might be a fire, so I took out my cell to call 911 but it was dead. That's when Mark came back on the line, told me he was scared and asked me to help him. The phone line started to go fuzzy and he was cutting in and out but I heard him say the words closet, mom and hurt. Then I heard a baby cry before the line cut off completely. I tried redialing but it said the phone had been disconnected. A few seconds later, the storm knocked the power out at the station, so I grabbed the recording and hightailed it up here to report it in person. And now I'm sitting in an interrogation room, telling this story for the third time and feeling very much like a suspect in a crime no one will investigate!"

Officer Abbott: "The thing is Miss Lennon, the phone number you provided us with is no longer in service, and hasn't been for some time, so we just don't see how you could've received a call."

Lennon: "Well, it's gotta to be some kind of mistake, something with the storm must've messed with the signal or---"

Officer Abbott: "No ma'am, that's not really how that works---"

Lennon: "Oh, so all of a sudden, you're an expert in cell phones, is that it? Well fine, maybe the number is wrong, but didn't you listen to the recording I gave y'all?"

Officer Abbott: "Ah yes, the recording. See the thing about that recording is, it only has your voice carrying on a one sided conversation."

Lennon: "No. No, that's just not possible. I talked to him, I did. I am not crazy, don't you look at me like I'm crazy!"

Officer Abbott: "Miss Lennon, will you please sit back down."

Lennon: "The smoke alarm! I heard it going off, can't the fire department see all the alarms that have been triggered?"

Officer Abbott: "Sallow Falls FD hasn't received any notice of a smoke alarm going off at all tonight. Miss Lennon, I'm going to have to ask you to stop pacing and please return to your seat so that we can---"

Lennon: "No, you think I don't see the looks you're giving me? You're trying to figure out just how wacked in the head I am. Mark is real, I spoke to him, we joked about his age and his dad not taking the trash out. He sounded so scared and --- wait, his dad! What about his dad, he said he's been in a coma for thirteen days, surely you can check the hospital and find him that way!"

Officer Abbott: "Yes ma'am we did check...the hospital has no record of a coma patient checked in within the last 2 weeks. In fact they haven't had a coma patient there since 1979."

Lennon: "I just don't understand. Why would he lie about that? Play the recording again, he has to be on there, I---"

Officer Abbott: "Miss Lennon, that's quite enough. The Sallow Falls PD really does not appreciate having our time wasted. You do know that filing a false police report is a crime, subject to a $2,500 fine and punishable by up to six months in prison? I'm sure Ms. Tabot didn't mention that tidbit when she put you up to this little charade did she?"

Lennon: "False report? This is not a false report, I'm just telling you what I heard! No one put me up to anything! Who the hell is Ms. Tabot?"

Officer Abbott: "Right, in character until the very end huh, where does she find you people?"

Lennon: "I have no idea what you're talking about! Why are you doing this, you're the police for god sake aren't you supposed to help people?!"

Officer Abbott: "Ok, let me ask you a question Miss Lennon, where'd you get that scar on your left cheek?"

Lennon: "My scar? What the hell does my scar have to do with anything?"

Officer Abbott: "Just answer the question Miss Lennon."

Lennon: "I don't know how I got it ok? I've had it since I was a baby! How is this relevant?"

Officer Abbott: "Since you were a baby, yeah that's what I thought. We're done here Miss Lennon, I won't be charging you with anything this time, but I'd advise you not to get caught up in anymore hair-brained schemes in the future. It's sick what you all are doing. Oh, and let Ms. Tabot know that the Sallow Falls PD will be sending her a bill for resources wasted...again."

END OF RECORDING

The Sallow Falls Suspense: A True Crime Podcast Episode 252

Maria: Welcome back ghouls and gals, this is your host Maria Tabot with a very special episode of SFS. Those of you familiar with your Sallow Falls history are already aware that today marks the 25th anniversary of the Miller Massacre, the gruesome 1979 killings that put our little town on the macabre map. If you're not familiar, here's a little background to catch you up.

25 years ago today, on October 18th, 1979, the Miller family was just settling in for the night when tragedy struck. Richard Miller, was locked away in his study, Marsha Miller was preparing dinner for their son, Jacob, while their six month old, Andrea slept upstairs, and Marsha's younger sister, Kira, visiting for the weekend, was holed up in a guest room, listening to the radio. By 6:27 pm, their next door neighbor, Ms. Halford, was calling 911 after she heard what she described as "the most bone chilling scream" come from their house. By the time paramedics arrived on the scene, Marsha Miller was dead, lying in a pool of her own blood on the kitchen floor, spatula still in hand. Smoke filled the room from a pan left on the stove. Richard Miller was found bleeding out over his desktop computer, alive, but just barely and Kira Miller was upstairs in the bath, radio long dead from being submerged in the bath water. Jacob was found hiding in a bedroom closet, holding a wailing baby Andrea.

Mr. Miller was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. He was in a medically induced coma for thirteen days before he succumbed to his injuries. Both he and Mrs. Miller had been stabbed in the abdomen exactly ten times.

Now, that you're caught up, I'd like to introduce a very special guest joining us in the studio today. Though she's chosen to remain anonymous, this nurse, we'll call her Nancy, has some details never released to the public about what transpired the night of the massacre. Now Nancy, is it true that you were working as a nurse at Sallow Falls Memorial on the night of October 18th, 1979?

Nancy: Yes, it's true. I was new, I had just transferred from Indiana General a few months prior, and was still getting my bearings. It's been over 20 years but I still remember every detail of that night.

Maria: Why don't you walk us through what you saw that night Nancy?

Nancy: Well, it was a crazy night for the hospital, what with the storm and all. We'd lost power, so were working on backup generators, and a six car pile up had just come in. It was the most hectic I'd ever seen it, everyone was on edge. I remember when they rolled Mr. Miller into the ER. All those stab wounds. I'd never seen so much blood before. I was tasked with doing compressions as they rolled him into emergency surgery and I heard one of the doctors mention the wife and her sister were DEA.

Soon, the surgery had started and they didn't need me anymore. I was on my way back to the ER to clean up when I heard a young boy call out to me.

"Is that my dad's blood?" he'd asked me.

He was sitting in a waiting area meant for visitors, all alone, which was odd. But odder still, he was holding a half eaten grilled cheese sandwich and he was covered in blood. I went to look him over to make sure he was ok and see if he'd been checked out by a doctor yet.

"Is that my dad's blood?" he'd asked again.

I didn't know what to say. I mean what do you tell a kid who's mom and aunt were just murdered and who's dad was fighting for his life? An officer walked up then, saving me from having to answer, and told me to step away from the boy. It wasn't until that moment that I noticed the handcuffs keeping him chained to the chair. He didn't have a scratch on him, none of the blood was his.

Maria: It's ok, Nancy, take your time, remembering traumatic events can be very emotional.

Nancy: Thank you. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a blubbering mess. Where was I? Oh yes. I still hadn't quite put it together, what had happened. I pretended to need something from the nurse's station nearby and I heard the officer questioning him. He kept asking him what happened and what he remembered. The boy just sat there, holding his sandwich and looking at him with this blank expression. I'd never seen that expression on a child before. Finally, he just asked him point blank, why he did it, and all he said was "She forgot to cut the crusts off this time. I told her to always cut the crusts off."

Maria: I think it was hard for everyone to come to terms with what happened that night, with what a troubled boy Jacob Miller truly was. For those listeners out there who don't know the full story, Jacob Miller was sent to Lott's Penitentiary for Troubled Youth, where he spent the next five years of his life before passing away to a mysterious, still undisclosed illness. He was 14 years old. There's never been much insight into his supposed ongoing recovery as the records have been sealed and no one from the penitentiary is willing to comment. As for the youngest Miller, we've never been able to get much information, but I understand you can fill in some blanks for us Nancy?

Nancy: Yes, well, Andrea stayed under observation with us for about a week before CPS came for her. I had this friend who worked there as a secretary, so I was able to check in on her, make sure she was doing ok. I mean as well as you can be when something like that happens. My friend couldn't tell me much, but she did say that a very nice family from somewhere down south had come up to adopt her. I thought it was good they lived a ways from here, she could grow up without it hanging over her head, you know? They even changed her name to make it harder to track her down. Poor little thing, I hope she's doing ok, wherever she is.

Maria: So, it sounds like little Andrea was the only Miller to get away unscathed.

Nancy: Well, almost, Jacob must have had just enough time to nick her before the paramedics arrived. She had a cut about an inch long that scarred over right in the middle of her left cheek.

Marsha

Andrea

Richard

Kira