"The truth was in the details and his details led to his own home, covered in blood and a fire pit on his family's property with bone fragments in it." — Ashley Flowers
"Every true crime story has one thing in common. Nothing is as it seems." — Multiple Speakers (Podcast tagline)
"It's hard to remember a lie. But the things that you saw, the things that you experienced, those stayed the same." — Ashley Flowers
The episode revisits the 1975 disappearance of sisters Kate and Sheila Lyon from Wheaton Plaza. Initial investigation focused on "Tape Recorder Man," a suspect described by a young witness who saw him talking to the girls with a tape recorder. A composite sketch was created, and additional reports suggested the man approached other children, possibly as a ruse. Another witness described a younger, scarred man who seemed fixated on blonde girls, but this lead was deemed less relevant to the Lyon sisters' case. Despite extensive searches, no immediate clues surfaced. A potential sighting of the bound girls in a car, with a driver resembling "Tape Recorder Man," yielded a partial license plate but no concrete leads. The case remained cold for years, with suspicion later turning to Fred Coffey, a man linked to other unsolved child murders.
The investigation gained renewed momentum with the re-examination of Lloyd Welch's decades-old statement. Welch had initially approached a security guard weeks after the disappearance, providing details about a man with a limp speaking to the girls. He failed a polygraph test at the time, and his statement was dismissed. However, a cold case detective rediscovered the report, noting the detail about the limp, which matched a known characteristic of a suspect, Ray Molesky. Further investigation into Welch revealed he was a convicted pedophile. His subsequent interviews over several years became a complex dance of shifting narratives. While Welch initially denied involvement, his story gradually evolved to implicate himself and other family members, including his uncle Dick and cousin Teddy, in the abduction.
Despite the inconsistencies and lies, persistent investigators identified recurring, consistent details in Welch's accounts, such as a specific basement description and a bonfire. These details, combined with extensive forensic investigation at a family property, uncovered bone fragments and wire consistent with Sheila's glasses. While definitive physical evidence was degraded, the consistent details from Welch's confession, particularly those related to a basement and a fire, led to a strong belief in his guilt. Ultimately, Lloyd Welch pleaded guilty, though he continued to deny full responsibility. The episode concludes by emphasizing the ongoing threat posed by predators and providing resources for victims' families.