January 11, 1984. Ypsilanti, Michigan. Two armed men enter a real estate and insurance office before one of them fires a shot into the neck of the 47-year old owner, Jack Brown. The assailants then lock the office’s other employees inside the bathroom before fleeing the scene and Jack dies in the hospital several hours later. Prior to his death, Jack had hinted that he might be involved in something which led to him being murdered, but the two perpetrators are not identified and the motive for the crime remains unclear. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore a baffling murder which resembled a professional hit and has remained unsolved for 40 years. In addition, we will also be discussing the unsolved murders of 54-year old Elizabeth Shumate, 60-year old Frances Ivey and 46-year old JoAnn Brown, a trio of real estate agents who were shot to death inside their office in Houston, Texas in August 1983.
Additional Reading:
https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Brown
https://unsolved.com/gallery/jack-brown/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/99060743/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/99426108/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/99810146/
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/08/30/Priest-denied-access-to-crime-scene-for-last-rites/4372431064000/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/2019/05/29/questions-remain-in-1983-triple-homicide-police-ask-for-publics-help/
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/slideshow/Houston-s-infamous-crimes-in-August-194965.php
https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/missing-pieces/murders-of-3-realtors-still-unsolved-37-years-later/285-3d493018-69d6-447f-bb43-2fc49163dcd9
https://torontosun.com/news/world/crime-hunter-hurricane-and-homicide-a-deadly-cocktail
If you have any information about the murder of Jack Brown, please contact the Ypsilanti Police Department at (734) 483-9510. If you have any information on the murders of Elizabeth Shumate, Frances Ivey & JoAnn Brown please contact the Houston Police Cold Case Unit at (713) 308-3618 or the Crime Stoppers of Houston tip line at (713) 222-TIPS (8477).
“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.
“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.
The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.
All music is composed by Vince Nitro.
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The Trail Went Cold – Episode 378 – Leroy Drieth and Shelly Malone
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 377 – John Glasgow
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 376 – Monika Rizzo
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 375 – Vernon Shipman, Charles Glass, and Louise Davis Shumate
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 374 – Malakia Logan
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 373 – Tommy Gibson
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 372 – Anne Barber Dunlap
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 371 – Ginni Wood, Kelly Gaskins, and Ervin Williams
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 370 – Jeffrey Digman, Billy Ray Hargrove, and Mike Carmichael
The Trail Went Cold – Bonus Episode – Mysteries on the True Crime Express
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 369 – Update, Part 5
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 368 – Lynne Harper, Part 2
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 367 – Lynne Harper, Part 1
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 366 – Patricia Viola
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 365 – Phylicia Thomas and Jennifer Barziloski
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 364 – The Lane Bryant Shooting
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 363 – Heidi Seeman and Erica Botello
The Trail Went Cold – Episode 362 – Margaret Dash, Retha Hiers, and Donyelle Johnson
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