Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"The question is, would it be physically possible for her to put herself in there? Because not only was this shoot itty bitty, but it was also more than a meter off the ground." — Ashley Flowers
"The basics of investigations were just completely disregarded. I mean, honestly, to me, it feels like cover-up, but I have no idea why someone want to cover-up Phoebe's death when she wasn't even close to like a political figure." — Britt
"The root of all our problems in this case is that someone decided it was a suicide from the second Phoebe was found, and so no one even collected the bare minimum amount of information needed to build any kind of case otherwise." — Britt
This episode delves into the perplexing death of Phoebe Hansjunk, who was found deceased in a trash chute in 2010. The initial investigation concluded her death was an accident or suicide, citing the presence of sleeping pills and a high blood alcohol level. However, the podcast meticulously outlines numerous inconsistencies and oversights that have led Phoebe's family to believe the investigation was incomplete and potentially mishandled. Key points of contention include the physical impossibility of a person entering the narrow trash chute voluntarily, the lack of thorough forensic examination at the scene, and the questionable timeline of events on the day of Phoebe's death.
The narrative highlights the efforts of Phoebe's grandfather, a retired detective, who became convinced of foul play due to the physical logistics of how Phoebe could have entered the chute. Experiments and reenactments are discussed, demonstrating the extreme difficulty, if not impossibility, for someone to enter the chute in the manner suggested by the authorities, especially with clothing in a disarray that did not align with the supposed entry method. The episode also scrutinizes the initial police response, pointing out the failure to check for vital signs upon discovery and the delayed collection of crucial evidence such as phone records and CCTV footage.
Further compounding the mystery, the episode introduces a subsequent suspicious death of another of Phoebe's boyfriend's girlfriends, Bailey Schneider, which was also initially ruled a suicide despite apparent physical impossibilities. The podcast concludes by emphasizing the ongoing questions surrounding Phoebe's case, the legal hurdles the family has faced in seeking a re-examination, and the possibility that powerful connections within the boyfriend's family may have influenced the initial investigation. The drive for answers by Phoebe's family is portrayed as a testament to their persistent pursuit of truth.