Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets
Encyclopedia
Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets is an American
true-crime documentary
on the Investigation Discovery Network. The program is different than other true-crime documentaries because the murder
s are portrayed from the omniscient point-of-view of the victim using "fictionalized dialogue". While the all-seeing narrator
knows who was responsible, the series allows viewers to piece together who is the culprit
based on clues from investigators, family and friends as each story unfolds. The program is known as "I Was Murdered" in the United Kingdom
. "Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets" has been compared to the 2009 film The Lovely Bones
in which a 13 year-old girl is murdered and views from heaven as her family copes with the tragedy.
from Leawood, Kansas
, was found strangled to death in a poolhouse pump room in June 2002. After three years of investigation, a billboard
gives police a tip pointing to a killer across the county in Connecticut
.
2. "Checkmate" - Ellen Robb was a wife and mother who was beaten to death in her Wayne, Pennsylvania
home in December 2006. Her murder appears to be a robbery
gone wrong, but evidence leads police to suspect her economics
professor husband, Rafael Robb
.
3. "Cold As Ice" - Denise Huber disappeared after a Morrissey
concert in Inglewood, California
in June 1991. The case of her disappearance went cold for three years, until a discovery in a Ryder truck in Prescott, Arizona
leads police to her killer.
4. "Closing Time" - Jerry Monroe was found shot to death in his Louisville, Kentucky
bar in June 2002. Police initially suspect he was killed in a random robbery, but his family suspects that his murder was the work of his wife Vicki and her adult son Leslie.
5. "La Muerta" - Sophia Martinez was murdered in March 2000 after withdrawing money from an ATM
. Her body was later found in the El Paso, Texas
desert. A surveillance camera and a confession
to a friend's girlfriend seal the fate of William Berkley.
6. "A Mother's Love" - Debi Whitlock was a young mother who was killed at her Modesto, California
home in March 1988. Her mother leads the crusade to find her killer. Nine years after the murder, a drug informant comes forward to police with information on who killed Debi.
7. "In the Name of Love" - Avis Banks was a daycare worker from Ridgeland, Mississippi
and a mother-to-be. In November 2006, she was found slain in her garage. Her fiance is initially the prime suspect, but his mistress
and co-worker Carla Hughes
turns out to be the real perpetrator.
8. "Bad Karma" - Michael Dojaquez was a yoga
instructor and married father of three. When he is shot to death on his porch in September 2003, the town of Tucson, Arizona
is shocked. In their investigation, police discover that a secret mistress, Amber Trudell, is his killer.
9. "Mortal Sin" - Ashley Wilson was a pregnant 19 year-old from Richmond, Texas
who was found hanged in her apartment in January 2004. Police rule her death as a suicide
, but her mother is doubtful. The truth to her death when her ex-boyfriend watches "Passion of the Christ".
10. "Killer Instinct" - Crystal Faye Todd hailed from Conway, South Carolina
. In November 1991, her dead body is found in the woods. There are a number of suspects in her rape
and murder, but DNA
evidence leads police to her true killer, whose identity shocks the community.
11. "Sudden Death" - John Cataneo was a plumber
and father of one living in Holly Hill, Florida
in June 2004. That was when he was gunned down outside his duplex
. An investigation uncovers a deadly conspiracy involving his wife and their neighbor.
12. "Til Death Do Us Part" - Dawn Hacheney was a young minister's wife in East Bremerton, Washington when her house caught for in December 1997. When a confidant
comes forward years later however, it reveals that Dawn's death was no accident and that she was instead suffocated by her husband.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
true-crime documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
on the Investigation Discovery Network. The program is different than other true-crime documentaries because the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s are portrayed from the omniscient point-of-view of the victim using "fictionalized dialogue". While the all-seeing narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
knows who was responsible, the series allows viewers to piece together who is the culprit
Culprit
A culprit, under English law properly the prisoner at the bar, is one accused of a crime. The term is used, generally, of one guilty of an offence. In origin the word is a combination of two Anglo-French legal words, culpable: guilty, and prit or prest: Old French: ready...
based on clues from investigators, family and friends as each story unfolds. The program is known as "I Was Murdered" in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. "Stolen Voices, Buried Secrets" has been compared to the 2009 film The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones (film)
The Lovely Bones is a 2009 American drama film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a film adaptation of the award-winning and best-selling 2002 novel of the same name by Alice Sebold. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon, alongside Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie's parents Jack and...
in which a 13 year-old girl is murdered and views from heaven as her family copes with the tragedy.
Season 1
1. "Daddy's Princess" - Ali Kemp, a lifeguardLifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
from Leawood, Kansas
Leawood, Kansas
Leawood is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. The city is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri and is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 31,867.-History:...
, was found strangled to death in a poolhouse pump room in June 2002. After three years of investigation, a billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gives police a tip pointing to a killer across the county in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
2. "Checkmate" - Ellen Robb was a wife and mother who was beaten to death in her Wayne, Pennsylvania
Wayne, Pennsylvania
Wayne is an unincorporated community located on the Main Line, centered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. While the center of Wayne is in Radnor Township, Wayne extends into both Tredyffrin Township in Chester County and Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County...
home in December 2006. Her murder appears to be a robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
gone wrong, but evidence leads police to suspect her economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
professor husband, Rafael Robb
Rafael Robb
Rafael Robb is an economist and former professor at the University of Pennsylvania.Robb pleaded guilty in November 2007 to voluntary manslaughter in the high-profile death of his wife, Ellen Gregory Robb. Gregory Robb was bludgeoned to death with a chin-up bar...
.
3. "Cold As Ice" - Denise Huber disappeared after a Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
concert in Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
in June 1991. The case of her disappearance went cold for three years, until a discovery in a Ryder truck in Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
leads police to her killer.
4. "Closing Time" - Jerry Monroe was found shot to death in his Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
bar in June 2002. Police initially suspect he was killed in a random robbery, but his family suspects that his murder was the work of his wife Vicki and her adult son Leslie.
5. "La Muerta" - Sophia Martinez was murdered in March 2000 after withdrawing money from an ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
. Her body was later found in the El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
desert. A surveillance camera and a confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
to a friend's girlfriend seal the fate of William Berkley.
6. "A Mother's Love" - Debi Whitlock was a young mother who was killed at her Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
home in March 1988. Her mother leads the crusade to find her killer. Nine years after the murder, a drug informant comes forward to police with information on who killed Debi.
7. "In the Name of Love" - Avis Banks was a daycare worker from Ridgeland, Mississippi
Ridgeland, Mississippi
Ridgeland is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 20,173 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and a mother-to-be. In November 2006, she was found slain in her garage. Her fiance is initially the prime suspect, but his mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
and co-worker Carla Hughes
Carla Hughes
Carla Hughes is a former middle schoolteacher from Canton, Mississippi who was convicted of two counts of capital murder for the November 29, 2006 slayings of her lover's pregnant fiancee Avis Banks and her unborn child...
turns out to be the real perpetrator.
8. "Bad Karma" - Michael Dojaquez was a yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
instructor and married father of three. When he is shot to death on his porch in September 2003, the town of Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
is shocked. In their investigation, police discover that a secret mistress, Amber Trudell, is his killer.
9. "Mortal Sin" - Ashley Wilson was a pregnant 19 year-old from Richmond, Texas
Richmond, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,081 people, 3,413 households, and 2,628 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,975.4 people per square mile . There were 3,595 housing units at an average density of 965.3 per square mile...
who was found hanged in her apartment in January 2004. Police rule her death as a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, but her mother is doubtful. The truth to her death when her ex-boyfriend watches "Passion of the Christ".
10. "Killer Instinct" - Crystal Faye Todd hailed from Conway, South Carolina
Conway, South Carolina
Conway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 16,317 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home of Coastal Carolina University....
. In November 1991, her dead body is found in the woods. There are a number of suspects in her rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and murder, but DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
evidence leads police to her true killer, whose identity shocks the community.
11. "Sudden Death" - John Cataneo was a plumber
Plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
and father of one living in Holly Hill, Florida
Holly Hill, Florida
Holly Hill is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 12,119 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 12,586...
in June 2004. That was when he was gunned down outside his duplex
Duplex (building)
The term duplex can be used to describe several different dwelling unit configurations:A duplex house is defined as a dwelling having apartments with separate entrances for two families. This includes two-story houses having a complete apartment on each floor and also side-by-side apartments on a...
. An investigation uncovers a deadly conspiracy involving his wife and their neighbor.
12. "Til Death Do Us Part" - Dawn Hacheney was a young minister's wife in East Bremerton, Washington when her house caught for in December 1997. When a confidant
Confidant
The confidant is a character in a story that the lead character confides in and trusts. Typically, these consist of the best friend, relative, doctor or boss.- Role :...
comes forward years later however, it reveals that Dawn's death was no accident and that she was instead suffocated by her husband.