Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"Quizically, the call officer Andy Roger placed to the Coast Guard at either 9.30 or 10.30 pm, depending on who you ask, was actually the second call regarding a missing woman in the water that the Coast Guard logged that evening. Another identical call came in at 6 pm, reporting a woman going into Lake St. Clair by St. Paul's an hour earlier, and her family in a frantic state looking for her. This was 80 minutes before Matooc Romain went missing." — Ashley Flowers (quoting Scott Bernstein)
"There is no evidence that someone who wanted to kill Miss Romaine knew the police would cover it up." — Judge (as quoted in the episode)
"The court, however, acknowledges there are disputed facts in this matter that are very disturbing and remain unresolved. While the circumstances surrounding Miss Romaine's disappearance and death remain a mystery and, in fact, are somewhat suspicious, the fact is that the plaintiff fails to create a genuine issue of material fact to hold the police liable." — Judge (as quoted in the episode)
This episode of Crime Junkie continues the investigation into the death of Joanne Matuke, presenting a compelling case that questions the official ruling of suicide by drowning. The hosts meticulously detail numerous inconsistencies, including the discovery of Matuke's body 70 days later, 35 miles from where she was last seen, despite no discernible current. Further complicating the narrative are the findings of a private autopsy, which indicated a "dry drowning" and contusions on her arm, contradicting the official findings. The timeline of police being alerted to her abandoned car also raises suspicion, appearing to lag significantly behind the initiation of a search.
A significant portion of the episode focuses on a mysterious earlier call to the Coast Guard about a woman entering the water, which seemingly received no search effort, contrasting sharply with the extensive search for Matuke. The discussion then moves to the lack of clear footprints from Matuke's distinctive footwear, the conflicting testimonies regarding their location, and the presence of work boot prints instead. The hosts also explore potential persons of interest identified by Matuke's family, including her estranged husband, her brother John, and her cousin Tim Matoop, detailing their alibis, polygraph results, and the lack of thorough investigation into some of them. The episode highlights a significant concern from the family's private investigators regarding attempts to "clear" Tim Matoop by state police, suggesting potential conflicts of interest.
The investigation extends to potential links with other unexplained deaths, notably that of David Woodlock, a local bank president who also died in Lake St. Clair under suspicious circumstances. Woodlock's death, initially ruled a suicide by drowning, was later revealed by a second autopsy to have a bullet hole in his neck, raising the possibility of homicide. The parallels, including differing autopsy results and alleged cover-ups, create a chilling narrative. Finally, the episode touches on overlooked witness statements and the questionable handling of evidence, such as the disposal of a scarf found near the scene, further fueling the suspicion of a deliberate cover-up or severe investigative negligence across multiple agencies.