On April 1, 1988, eight-year-old April Tinsley disappeared while walking through her Fort Wayne neighborhood. Three days later, her body was discovered in a rural ditch, leaving investigators with a witness description, reports of a blue vehicle, and biological evidence from an unknown man—but no way to identify him.
Two years later, a disturbing message appeared on a barn near where April had been found. Then, in 2004, threatening letters and DNA samples were left outside the homes of young girls around Fort Wayne. Testing confirmed the letter writer was April’s killer, but searches of law-enforcement databases still produced no match.
In this episode, we examine the investigation into April’s murder, the early suspect who was eventually cleared, the killer’s terrifying messages, and the evolution of the DNA evidence over three decades. We also break down DNA profiling, CODIS, behavioral analysis, DNA phenotyping, and the forensic genetic genealogy that finally led investigators to John D. Miller in 2018.
Topics discussed include:
- April’s disappearance and the search for her
- The forensic evidence recovered in 1988
- The witness account and reported blue vehicle
- The 1990 barn message
- The unrelated murder of seven-year-old Sarah Bowker
- The threatening letters left for young girls in 2004
- The FBI’s behavioral profile of April’s killer
- DNA phenotyping and the computer-generated suspect images
- CeCe Moore’s genetic-genealogy investigation
- The discarded DNA sample that confirmed Miller’s identity
- Miller’s confession, conviction, and 80-year sentence
- April’s legacy and the memorials created in her honor
Content warning: This episode discusses the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of a child.
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