MURDERED: Ada Haradine
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High crime junk is right here in happy friday. You're probably a little surprised to hear from me today. Well, i'm here because I have the absolute honour of sharing some very exciting news with you all. As you guys know, Michael Ashley is a busy gal, and as usual, she's been working on something special this past year, a special case, one that he lived and greased with our reporting up for a months, tracking down every piece of information they could get their hands on.

And trust me, there's a lot, but they're finally ready to tell you what they found in the newest season of the duck investigates in season to actually tells us all about what they uncovered in their deep dive investigation into the case of ada hari, the three of clubs from inDiana in may of one thousand nine hundred eighty five, forty year old ada was at her home in l car, inDiana, when SHE mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the day. Her disappearance shook the small role town for years as they extensively searched for any trail back to eda until nineteen ninety eight, when their search came to an end over ten miles away from her home ads. Remains were discovered in a densely wooded area, which only LED to more questions, who killed at a haraden? And how did someone take her in the middle of the day with no one seeing a single thing? For years? Investigators were stumped, and unfortunately, eight, his case went cold.

But actually, anna are ready to turn up the heat. And I know our crome junkets are too. Now, of course, as a perk of being A B, F, F, i've already gotten a chance to be the entire er season. You guys, when I tell you my head is spinning, I mean, my head is spinning like a top, just like class season.

There are a string of people of interest that when you look at e to them individually, you think they gotto be the guy, right? But then the more you hear about this case, the more you realize you can be certain of anything. I seriously can't wait for you all to hear this season.

And we're giving our crime keys the first full episode right here right now. But don't worry, there is more. The next three episodes are out and waiting for you over on the deck investigates feed right now and make sure you follow the show so you don't miss new episodes each week. So without further do this is a story of ita here time.

Last season, when we covered the case of darlin holes, there was a lot I had to leave out in almost forty years of case documents. You can't include every detail, even in an eighteen episode series. Most are red hearings anyway.

But there was one tip that I kept coming back to, mostly because IT seemed so fantastical. IT couldn't be true, but IT was interesting. I always referred to this tip as the shia letters.

In a series of letters to law enforcement, a local citizen named sula proposed a theory that darl's case was connected to the depth of other women in the area. Around the same time SHE he didn't have inside into the cases. He was just working off newspapers.

But he said there was a pattern. The women's initials, all the women had the last initial age, and the first initials were descending through the alphabet, like A H, B H, C H, D H and so on. Now, SHE didn't even have all the letter.

SHE couldn't find A C H. So there weren't enough data points to make the argument compelling, not for police back then, because there's no record of them talking to her. And I didn't really make sense for us to chase that lead early on when we had so many more viable ones that needed work.

But we did put out feelers. We tried unsuccessfully getting in touch with sea, and I began looking at the other cases. He pointed to the A H case that happen almost a year after darling was killed.

This woman at a heroine was a stay at home mother and wife taken in the middle of the day from her home in l car, inDiana, just an hour away from darleen. A S case is still unsolved. That's pretty much all you'll get from archived newspaper reports. So if I wanted to know more, we were going to have to go digging ourselves. And before I even got the chance, guess who I got an email from?

Actually, I hope this email finds you well. I'm a listener of crime junky, the deck and the deck investigates as well as other audio truck productions. I'm not sure where to start on this email, so I will die in.

I'm one of the granddaughters of ata herding. My dad is her first borne son. She's the three of clubs on the third edition of cold case cards in inDiana.

Ao has taken from her house in l car, inDiana, on may eight thousand nine hundred eighty five. SHE was last scene at three P. M. My uncle, her second son, got off the bus at three twenty. He did not see here that afternoon and decided to go to the neighbors since he was at home.

SHE was never seen again and was discovered just over three years later, on may twelve thousand nine hundred eighty eight, in cast county by mushroom hunters. We don't know much more about her case, although over the years my dad has begun to talk about IT more. My sisters and I are big fans.

And when I was listening to the deck investigate, I in text to them about how similar that arlean halse case worse to atas. My Youngest sister then reminded me that darlin's daughter, kristin, had reached out to her a few years ago to see if there was any connection to the two cases as well. The area where ea's value was found is actually on the way to and from my house in indian applies in my parents house in michigan.

Every time we pass that area. SHE is all I can think about. I know you must get tons of messages, and I do want to thank you and applaud you for all that you do.

Bringing light to these cases can really do wonders, and I hope that all of these cases can get some answers. I would love to see your case highlighted, and I know my dad and uncle would love to get answers. I would be more than happy to talk to or to be a point of contact.

I know my Youngest sister would be too IT saddens us all that we never were able to meet her. My mom only met her once when her my dad, we're dating at ball state. From all of the stories, SHE seemed like a kind soul and a great mother. Thanks for taking the time to read this best my cana hari and shoots that's .

IT I was in and i'm going to do the one thing you're not supposed to do in storytelling. I'm going to give you the answer to the question that's been posed at the top. I don't think darlins case and ads case are connected, but what we me in my reporter na, uncover to come to that conclusion is a story in its own right of elderly maze of suspects and theories.

Beautiful long force agencies have twisted and turned through this laboring, trying to make sense of something that makes absolutely no sense. The more I learned, the more I realized that season two of the deck investigates was unfolding right before my eyes. And you'll have a front row seat as we retrace the steps of an investigation that spans decades, confront assumptions that may not hold up under scrutiny and try to unravel a mystery that has haunted a family for generations.

This is the story of ada herodian, the three of clubs from inDiana I am ashly flowers. And this is season two of the deck investigates. This is episode one.

Some things wrong. Forty year old ada haraden was a quiet woman who lived on a quiet street in a quiet neighborhood, a long way from the prisoner of war camp. SHE was born in back in germany.

Her parents, the van oes, immigrated to the specific corner of the world where I grew up along the michigan in inDiana border, affectionately known by locals as mission ana. As a Young woman, eight, have found work for a wealthy family at their lodge. And IT was that wealthy family son, coral Edwin herding junior, known as ed, who gave ada her upper class quiet life.

Make no mistake, though ada was no wilting flower, SHE was strong and smart. And though SHE didn't work outside of the home, that was only because he had always been too busy working in IT between their thousand nine year old sun away at college and their nine year old in elementary school. Ada had been a full time.

Mother and homemaker are pretty much every day of their twenty years of marriage. SHE ran the household finances and Operations and what little time was in occupied by her kid SHE filled with church or home renovation projects, yard work and social activities. SHE actually checked all those boxes one late spring day in one thousand and eighty five, the last day that he was ever seen alive.

Ada wasn't even supposed to be at her home in l cart on may eight thousand nine hundred eighty five. SHE initially had plans to visit a friend in fourth in inDiana, about an hour a half away, but SHE very scheduled the trip when he found out her Younger son school was holding a mother's day mass. SHE didn't want jeff to be the only one without his mom there.

So when that morning started, SHE was still in bed, as had left early to hit the gym before work. After getting up herself in getting ready, SHE and their son, jeff had IT off to the mother's state service. IT was unevenly routine, if you will, in the way that most mass services are.

After that, jeff went off to class. And if ada made any stops on her way home, they couldn't have taken long because he was at the house by eleven when her knee, Susan arrived to go to a lunching with her. The two chated for a little bit until eight is friend judy.

Pick them up at around eleven thirty to take them to the local Y M, C. A. The whole time Susan thought eta seemed to be in a good mood. Like usual.

all the ladies were talking about getting things ready for summer and opening up the houses. And when lady was saying how SHE couldn't get her storm, shut her winter screens or whatever is you put on for winter, SHE couldn't get off and her it's gone and know he didn't know how to do IT. And ada thought that was so funny that he was just helpless moment because ada was AA could take care of herself SHE was the coolant judy.

drop them back at the house by one thirty, and Susan and ada settled into chat a little more. They had lots of catching up to do because Susan actually lived in arizona at the time. You'd gone off to college there. And now that he had graduated, SHE had come into town interviewing for some jobs, hoping that SHE and her husband could relocate back to the area.

The reason I did, and I were so closely, because no matter where we know that we spending my summer here, working for my grandparents and running the resort, and eight did the same thing. He was there all summer, and he was kind of big sister, Young and and beat, was a friend and an anand. We all had dinner together.

And my grandparents kitchen, we SAT around the big table. We all work together. We all played together.

So the women were ceded in the family room enjoying their time together, when suddenly they heard a noise coming from near the entry way.

like a third, like if you ran into the wall, that's what that sounds like to me. It's just sounded like a fun to me.

The noise didn't scare them per sale, but IT made them curious. No one else was supposed to be home, and the herodians didn't have any pets. So they looked around a bit, even checked outside near the front door, but they didn't see anything that might have caused the sound by two or five.

Susan had to leave for a job, in her view, at a local bank. Ada, meanwhile, had plans of her own. Susan remembers her saying that he was gone to change and do some yard work, but he was still wearing the dressing outfit. She's warn to lunch, a rose colored skirt and a short sleeve sweater. When Susan left.

SHE walked out with me and walked to the mailbox at the end of the driveway. And we had been talking about that because I was me. We are getting excited for summer.

They had just bought a ski boat, so SHE opened the mailbox and there was a ski magazine that had come as i'm pulling out, backing out of the driver. SHE holds up the scheme magazine. Like, you know.

sometimes coming left alone, it's assume that eight to went back inside and changed out of her clothes and into something SHE could do yard work in the rose coloured skirt and short sleeve sweater she'd been wearing when Susan left were found, neily put away and the shower and sink in the bathroom of her ned's bedroom were wet, as if SHE had washed up.

Her family would also find that water skin magazine that ate a had grabs from the mailbox on a little accent table near the living. One of the next door neighbors, twenty two year old Steve, dies, saw ada outside sometime between two and three, doing yard work in A T shirt and either shorts or genes he couldn't remember, which he hadn't seen anything suspicious. The only unfamiliar car he remembered in the harding's driveway was a blue lincoln, which turned out to be what Susan had been driving.

Another men from the neighborhood name how comes was out for his usual walk when he saw IT in her driveway deep in conversation with a man that he didn't recognize an unfamiliar car. Presumably, the man's was parked toward the back of her driveway. Now he said, Normally ada would throw a friendly wave or hello housewares, but this time he was so focused on the chat that SHE didn't even acknowledge him, which surprised them.

Still, there was nothing a lamming about the encounter he witnessed. The heroines had been doing some modeling, and various workers had been in and out. So at the time, how figured the man was just another contractor, the timing of house sighting did change from his first statement to his second, but his final answer was that he saw ata at three ten pm. But by the time jeff school bus pulled up to the house ten minutes later, ada was gone.

The school bus will drop me off, literally right in front of the house. I get home from school. He was just always there. I was like clock in our house.

As jeff went to let himself in, he noticed that the front door was a jar, although the screen door in front of IT was closed and locked, blocking his access to the house, he's saw a note from ada on the door, but IT wasn't for him. He had written earlier that day to the sprinkle repairman, letting him know about an issue their system was having.

The garage door was also locked, and for a minute jeff wondered if he'd be stuck outside, but there was one more door he could try. He made his way around to the back of the house, where a rake and gardening tool, we're leaning against the wall near a bay window. I'm sure jeff didn't even make note of that.

He was probably too focused on getting inside. And luckily he found that the back screen door was unlocked. Once inside, he called out for his mom, but the house was quiet and empty.

No, ida wasn't the kind of mom to just leave things to chance. On the rare occasion he planned to be gone when jeff got home, SHE would arrange for someone to be there. So jeff was confused, but not necessarily worried her orange chevy ca.

Was right there part in the driveway. So how far could he possibly have gone? Jeff decided to have a snack changed out of his school clothes, and then he settled in to do what kids in the eighties did after school.

I think I remember turning the TV out and watching some cartoons at the time, probably some stupid or or something. And then I remember my dad calling.

Ed was calling from the office. He'd actually been calling ata spatially all day to try and form up plans for the family to go to a local baseball game later that night. And he knew ada was often out about during the day running errands, seeing friends. So IT wasn't weird that he hadn't gotten a hold of her earlier. But late afternoons were for jeff.

I recall us having a quick conversation and then him maybe expressing some concern about mom not being there, but nothing really even still registered as be an unusual, alarming to me.

Ed, however, did register IT as unusual, especially when he got home from work at around five fifteen, and ada was still mia. By that point, though, jeff wasn't alone. Susan had actually returned from her interview planning to go to that baseball game I had had been trying to call a about all day.

So ed asked if he knew where ada was, but Susan was just as in the dark as everyone else. He had assumed ada would be here just like everyone else. And Susan said he remembers ads immediate concern .

he's like around because he's be home. She's never not home. When jeff gett home.

ed waited around for a little bit, hoping that he would come home. But when he didn't, he decided IT was time to take the search outside of the house. Ed and Susan and even jeff started checking in with their neighbors and calling around of friends and relatives, hoping someone knew where IT a was.

Somebody in the family have asked me to start, you know, going to check down as some friends house.

There are next door neighbor Steve. Mom ray died, called the local hospital to make sure ada wasn't there, and SHE helped them search the house again. And when Steve got home at evening, he was able to help fill them in on a few blanks, telling them about seeing IT to first in her dressy clothes some time in the late morning and then again in the afternoon, changed into her closed to the yard work.

And he said he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when he left to go to a friends place at around four or forty five. As the minutes ticked by, ed's fear just grew, and he realized that he couldn't handle this alone. So he called his parents, and he decided to bring in the big guns, his sister, Betty's husband, a guy named Larry sar hat.

Because, you see, Larry was a retired FBI agent. He would know how they should handle this. Now, Larry passed away in two thousand and eighteen, but his wife, Betty, remembers getting that call or the message.

Rather, they had to call ed back. And when they learned that ata was gone, Larry did know what to do, call the police. By this time, daylight had faded and the gravity of the situation had begun to sink in.

For all of them, they knew that the only way ata wouldn't have been home was if someone was keeping her from IT. So at eight, fifteen, they made a call to l cart pd. Susan says they wondered if they were gonna a ransom demand. After all, the hair lines were well off and everyone knew that owned the business, carlton manufacturing, which specialized in a poster furniture .

in l cart. There is a lot of businessman, a lot of entrepreneurs, and he was connected with the whole st. Circle of successful businessman.

A ransom demand actually seemed like one of the Better possible outcomes. I mean, at least that would mean ada was still alive. So as police began their investigation, her loved ones hoped and prayed for a call, but when the phone ring IT wasn't ada or in a doctor with instructions on how to secure her return, when I D answered, there was only silence. On the other end, ed repeated hellos over and over, but the color didn't say a word until eventually had hung up on them.

When the nothing came in that night about a home color, or around summer up the accident and or anything like that, then I think people were like.

this is bad. You can listen to episode to no one saw a thing right now, wherever you get your podcast.