Case 201
Janet Chandler
When 22-year-old Janet Chandler was abducted while working the night shift at the Blue Mill Inn on January 31 1979, her disappearance appeared to be part of a robbery. However, when Janet’s body was found in a snowbank the following morning, it raised more questions than answers.
Investigators chased dead ends for decades until 2003, when students from the Hope College film school decided to make a documentary exploring Janet’s life. The movie propels the investigation forward in a way that no one could see coming.
CREDITS
EPISODE:
Research & writing – Elsha McGill
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Narration – Anonymous Host
MUSIC:
‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com
Audio production – Mike Migas
Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn
OTHER:
Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska
RESOURCES
VIDEOS
Testimony of Laurie Swank – The Planning Session
BOOKS
Cold Blooded Murder: Shocking True Stories of Killers and Psychopaths – Brad Hunter
COURT DOCUMENTS
People of the State of Michigan V James Nelson, Anthony Williams, Freddie Parker & Arthur Paiva
James F. Chandler, Sr. V The Wackenhut Corporation
ONLINE ARTICLES
Gang Rape, Murder and Justice in a Small Town – Glamour
Conspiracy of silence – NBC News
Kidnapped area woman found slain in snowbank – Cold Dead Hands
Janet Chandler’s double life meant it took cops 30 years to solve her murder – Toronto Sun
5 arrests made in 1979 slaying of woman – Denver Post
Witness provides graphic details – MLive
Witness: Guards plotted to ‘teach’ victim a lesson – MLive
More charges possible in Chandler case – MLive
Second man convicted in Janet Chandler murder case dies in prison – WHTC
Chandlers can’t forgive killers showing no remorse – MLive
David Schock uses film to unearth information about cold case – Legal News
Guilty verdicts in murder case cap emotional day – MLive
NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES
Special task force is formed to hunt slayer of Hope coed – Detroit Free Press
St Joe ‘Jimmy’ ruled out in Holland clerk’s death – The Herald-Palladium
Was abduction real motive of motel hold up? – Petoskey News
Police agencies hunt slayer of college co-ed – The Herald Palladium
Follow slim clues in clerk slaying – The Herald-Palladium
After five months police still search for motel clerk’s killer – Lansing State Journal
Three Oaks man admits to murder – The South Bend Tribune
Arrest warrant paints picture of rape, murder – The Times-Tribune
WEBSITES
Oral History Interview with Jerry Counihan – Hope College Digital Commons
Holland, Michigan – Wikipedia
Donald Leroy Evans – Wikipedia
THIS EPISODE’S SPONSORS