Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"Was the wrong man blamed for these crimes? And if so, then is the person or people who actually committed these murders still walking free?" — Britt
"The location of Joan's body doesn't seem to change much for investigators though, like or for ADA Burke. I mean, it changes his plan probably like he can't take this to trial because the only thing he had to go on were the stories from these jailhouse informants." — Britt
"Joan and Marie both deserve investigations based on evidence, not assumptions. So, my question isn't just who killed Joan and Marie. It's why didn't anyone want the truth?" — Ashley Flowers
This episode of Crime Junkie examines two intertwined cases: the 1981 disappearance of Joan Webster, a Harvard graduate student, and the 1979 murder of Marie Ianoutzi. Joan vanished after arriving at Boston Logan Airport, with her wallet and purse later found in a marshy area, miles from her intended destination. A key, albeit perplexing, clue was her checked luggage found rented in a locker at a bus terminal hours after her flight. The investigation faced numerous challenges, including a poorly handled initial response and the puzzling non-release of a composite sketch of a man seen with someone matching Joan's description.
The narrative then pivots to Marie Ianoutzi's murder, a case that had gone cold until it became linked to Joan's disappearance. The discovery of Marie's body in the same marshy area where Joan's belongings were found prompted Assistant District Attorney Tim Burke to re-examine both cases. While Marie's boyfriend, David, and a man named Lenny Paradiso were initial suspects, the investigation increasingly focused on Lenny, a fisherman with a criminal history. His alleged confessions to fellow inmates about both Marie's and Joan's murders became a central piece of evidence, despite inconsistencies with physical findings, particularly regarding Joan's presumed disposal at sea.
Despite the prosecution's focus on Lenny, the episode highlights significant investigative flaws, including questionable witness testimony, potential suppression of evidence, and the coercive tactics employed by law enforcement. The discovery of Joan's remains in a different location than initially suggested by the confession, the absence of physical evidence linking Lenny to Joan, and the possibility of alternative suspects, such as David, raise serious doubts about the narrative presented. The episode concludes by emphasizing the need for unbiased investigations and questioning the motivations behind the way these cases were handled, leaving the true perpetrators of both crimes in question.