WEBVTT 00:00:08.269 --> 00:00:10.789 The views and opinions expressed in Cold and 00:00:10.789 --> 00:00:13.710 Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All 00:00:13.710 --> 00:00:16.129 parties mentioned are considered innocent until 00:00:16.129 --> 00:00:18.949 proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing 00:00:18.949 --> 00:00:22.410 also contains adult themes and languages. Listener 00:00:22.410 --> 00:00:26.269 discretion is advised. I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin 00:00:26.269 --> 00:00:29.010 -Sulkowski. And I'm your co -host, Eli Sulkowski. 00:00:29.210 --> 00:00:31.289 And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover 00:00:31.289 --> 00:00:35.170 cold cases and missing person cases. Hello, everyone, 00:00:35.170 --> 00:00:37.369 and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your 00:00:37.369 --> 00:00:40.590 host, Ali. And I'm your co -host, Eli. Welcome 00:00:40.590 --> 00:00:44.390 back, everyone. And Eli is back for what is actually 00:00:44.390 --> 00:00:48.390 an anniversary episode. So when this episode 00:00:48.390 --> 00:00:51.149 drops, it will be officially our three -year 00:00:51.149 --> 00:00:53.990 anniversary of doing this podcast. That's right. 00:00:54.090 --> 00:00:57.210 Three full years of episodes that we have that 00:00:57.210 --> 00:01:00.130 you can go back and listen to. But for today, 00:01:00.270 --> 00:01:05.549 we are on episode 139. And we are on a cold case 00:01:05.549 --> 00:01:09.099 this week. All right, let's get into it. So just 00:01:09.099 --> 00:01:11.439 as a quick content warning at the top, this case 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:15.760 does involve a young person. Today, we are talking 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:19.060 about the cold case of Rhonda Sue Coleman, and 00:01:19.060 --> 00:01:22.959 this takes place May 17, 1990, in Hazlehurst, 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:26.579 Georgia. But first, a little bit about Rhonda. 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:31.760 Rhonda is just 18 years old in 1990. She was 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.599 just weeks, really days, away from graduation. 00:01:35.950 --> 00:01:39.010 Rhonda was described as a warm, friendly, and 00:01:39.010 --> 00:01:43.989 deeply loved by her friends and family. She was 00:01:43.989 --> 00:01:48.450 born January 18, 1972. Rhonda was the only child 00:01:48.450 --> 00:01:51.870 of Milton and Gail Coleman. She was really close 00:01:51.870 --> 00:01:54.530 with her parents, often choosing to spend time 00:01:54.530 --> 00:01:57.790 with them over her friends. Her and her parents 00:01:57.790 --> 00:02:00.329 loved to go to the beach together, where Rhonda 00:02:00.329 --> 00:02:03.709 loved to water ski. I think Rhonda's obituary 00:02:03.709 --> 00:02:06.739 is actually... a really great description of 00:02:06.739 --> 00:02:08.620 her and was written by those who love her. So 00:02:08.620 --> 00:02:12.219 I would like to read it for a moment. Ms. Coleman 00:02:12.219 --> 00:02:15.080 was a native and lifelong resident of Jeff Davis 00:02:15.080 --> 00:02:18.599 County. She was a senior at Jeff Davis High School 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:20.979 and a member of the Future Farmers of America 00:02:20.979 --> 00:02:24.800 and the Epilogue Y Club. She was employed as 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:27.719 a cashier at Piggly Wiggly and was a member of 00:02:27.719 --> 00:02:30.139 the Tabernacle Baptist Church of Hazlehurst. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:33.539 She was a tomboy at heart who loved motorcycles, 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:37.139 climbing trees, and playing in the mud. She made 00:02:37.139 --> 00:02:39.520 one attempt at entering a beauty pageant at age 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:42.020 nine, but decided that pageant life wasn't for 00:02:42.020 --> 00:02:44.800 her, as it interfered with her playtime schedule. 00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:50.960 And now, a timeline of events. Thursday, May 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:55.360 17th, 1990. Rhonda didn't usually go out on school 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:59.419 nights, but this Thursday was an exception. Her 00:02:59.419 --> 00:03:01.500 classmates were gathering to decorate banners 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:04.780 for their upcoming graduation. It was a tradition 00:03:04.780 --> 00:03:06.900 at her high school for the seniors to decorate 00:03:06.900 --> 00:03:10.699 banners for the ceremony. That evening, before 00:03:10.699 --> 00:03:13.379 she left, Rhonda sat down with her father, Milton, 00:03:13.539 --> 00:03:17.400 and the two talked about her college plans. Milton 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:30.780 would later recall, quote, Rhonda's curfew was 00:03:30.780 --> 00:03:33.340 10 .30 p .m., and she had never given her parents 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:36.479 a reason to worry. She was never late, or if 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:38.280 she knew she was going to be a few minutes late, 00:03:38.419 --> 00:03:40.199 she would always call her parents and let them 00:03:40.199 --> 00:03:45.439 know. She left home either around 7 or 8 p .m. 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:47.639 Both times have been reported over the years. 00:03:48.500 --> 00:03:52.419 Rhonda left in her 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier and 00:03:52.419 --> 00:03:54.780 met a classmate she had been on a few dates with. 00:03:55.879 --> 00:03:58.639 They left her car parked at a convenience store 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:01.120 and then the two of them rode together to the 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:03.879 party, which was hosted at the house of her friend, 00:04:04.099 --> 00:04:07.360 Mickey. The decorating party went as planned 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:10.539 and around 10 p .m., Rhonda said goodbye to her 00:04:10.539 --> 00:04:13.659 friends and left so she'd have time to stop and 00:04:13.659 --> 00:04:15.780 pick up her car and make it home in time for 00:04:15.780 --> 00:04:19.040 curfew. She and the classmate that she had driven 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:22.660 to the party with had left together again. We 00:04:22.660 --> 00:04:25.389 do know that Rhonda makes it to her car. She 00:04:25.389 --> 00:04:27.790 was last seen at the Sewanee Swift convenience 00:04:27.790 --> 00:04:32.509 store. However, 10 .30 rolls around and Rhonda 00:04:32.509 --> 00:04:36.069 had not returned home. Almost immediately, her 00:04:36.069 --> 00:04:38.730 parents begin to worry. This was not like her 00:04:38.730 --> 00:04:40.829 to be late, and if she was going to be late, 00:04:40.910 --> 00:04:44.329 she would have called. It doesn't take her dad 00:04:44.329 --> 00:04:47.970 long to decide to go out and look for her. Years 00:04:47.970 --> 00:04:50.769 later, her mother will recall getting a terrible 00:04:50.769 --> 00:04:54.939 feeling that something awful had happened. Around 00:04:54.939 --> 00:04:58.699 11 p .m., one of Rhonda's friends, Layla, who 00:04:58.699 --> 00:05:00.759 had missed the decorating party because of work, 00:05:00.980 --> 00:05:03.779 was driving home when she spotted Rhonda's car 00:05:03.779 --> 00:05:08.420 just 20 feet off of Bell Telephone Road. Layla 00:05:08.420 --> 00:05:10.399 pulled off of the road to see if Rhonda needed 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:14.500 help, but Rhonda wasn't with her car. The engine 00:05:14.500 --> 00:05:18.040 was still running. The headlights were on. The 00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:21.759 driver's door was wide open. Her purse was on 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:23.800 the floorboard of the passenger seat and the 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:27.459 parking brake was engaged. Footprints led from 00:05:27.459 --> 00:05:29.819 her car to the tire tracks of another vehicle. 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:34.939 Investigators would later say, The physical evidence 00:05:34.939 --> 00:05:37.720 indicates Rhonda stopped and got out to speak 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:41.100 with someone, possibly someone she knew. A vehicle 00:05:41.100 --> 00:05:43.819 had pulled in and stopped behind her, but there 00:05:43.819 --> 00:05:47.569 was no signs of a struggle. Layla got back in 00:05:47.569 --> 00:05:49.629 her car and went to her boyfriend's house to 00:05:49.629 --> 00:05:52.829 call police. Layla and her boyfriend returned 00:05:52.829 --> 00:05:55.949 to the car to wait for police. By the time the 00:05:55.949 --> 00:05:58.930 first officer rolls up to the scene, Rhonda's 00:05:58.930 --> 00:06:02.189 father also finds her car. Nothing was missing 00:06:02.189 --> 00:06:04.670 from Rhonda's car. Her purse was still in the 00:06:04.670 --> 00:06:07.949 floorboard, and nothing of value had been taken. 00:06:08.490 --> 00:06:14.889 Her friend Layla said, quote, It looked like 00:06:14.889 --> 00:06:17.509 somebody she knew or thought she knew motioned 00:06:17.509 --> 00:06:20.290 for her to stop. I believe she got out of her 00:06:20.290 --> 00:06:24.149 car expecting to get right back in. Immediately, 00:06:24.410 --> 00:06:27.550 police start searching for Rhonda and treat this 00:06:27.550 --> 00:06:31.050 like a kidnapping. Police will later learn that 00:06:31.050 --> 00:06:34.610 a raccoon hunter in the area will report seeing 00:06:34.610 --> 00:06:37.329 a dark -colored shortbed pickup truck driving 00:06:37.329 --> 00:06:40.889 past him as he was exiting the woods. He heard 00:06:40.889 --> 00:06:43.290 a woman's voice crying out for help from the 00:06:43.290 --> 00:06:46.660 car. At the time, the hunter thought it was just 00:06:46.660 --> 00:06:49.319 high schoolers messing around, but when he heard 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:51.500 about Rhonda going missing just two miles from 00:06:51.500 --> 00:06:55.019 where he was, he reports it to police. Police 00:06:55.019 --> 00:06:57.240 do believe that the woman crying from the car 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:01.860 was Rhonda. The next day, Friday, May 18, 1990, 00:07:02.300 --> 00:07:05.779 the small community of Hazlehurst was shaken 00:07:05.779 --> 00:07:09.379 by Rhonda's disappearance. Friends described 00:07:09.379 --> 00:07:12.389 Rhonda as cautious. She knew not to stop for 00:07:12.389 --> 00:07:14.829 strangers, and she had driven that road countless 00:07:14.829 --> 00:07:18.730 times before. Her classmates plastered the town 00:07:18.730 --> 00:07:21.370 with flyers and joined the search for her, many 00:07:21.370 --> 00:07:25.529 skipping school to do so. Students rode ATVs 00:07:25.529 --> 00:07:28.709 or brought tough trucks through the area. Her 00:07:28.709 --> 00:07:31.410 best friend, Tricia Thompson, said, quote, It's 00:07:31.410 --> 00:07:34.209 not a dangerous road, but it's dark. She knew 00:07:34.209 --> 00:07:36.449 not to stop. She wouldn't have stopped for anything. 00:07:37.620 --> 00:07:39.879 Rhonda's school supports the students skipping 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:47.100 class to look for her. The principal says, Her 00:07:47.100 --> 00:07:57.259 classmates are especially shaken. The small senior 00:07:57.259 --> 00:08:00.600 class of 140 students had already lost another 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:03.860 senior just a few months before that. The young 00:08:03.860 --> 00:08:07.370 man had died in a car accident. The search for 00:08:07.370 --> 00:08:09.949 Rhonda continues all through Friday and then 00:08:09.949 --> 00:08:13.990 all day the next day Saturday. However, on Sunday, 00:08:14.069 --> 00:08:17.089 May 20, 1990, so Rhonda has been missing since 00:08:17.089 --> 00:08:20.490 Thursday. There have been no signs of her found 00:08:20.490 --> 00:08:23.910 outside of her vehicle. Police believe that she 00:08:23.910 --> 00:08:26.209 was abducted by someone who was able to flag 00:08:26.209 --> 00:08:28.709 her down and get her to pull over onto the side 00:08:28.709 --> 00:08:31.889 of the road. That afternoon, a man was walking 00:08:31.889 --> 00:08:34.210 through the woods in nearby Montgomery County. 00:08:34.940 --> 00:08:36.679 It's said that he was appraising Tinder, but 00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:40.340 some reports say he was walking his dog. He was 00:08:40.340 --> 00:08:43.240 about 16 miles from where Rhonda's car had been 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:47.279 found when he makes a horrifying discovery. She's 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:50.460 laying face down on a logging road. She was still 00:08:50.460 --> 00:08:53.320 fully clothed in jeans, a pink shirt, and tennis 00:08:53.320 --> 00:08:56.820 shoes. Pine straw had been raked around her, 00:08:56.899 --> 00:08:59.480 and her back had been partially burned in what 00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:01.879 police believe was an attempt to destroy evidence. 00:09:03.590 --> 00:09:05.830 Authorities are later able to determine that 00:09:05.830 --> 00:09:09.549 the burning was done after her death. Outside 00:09:09.549 --> 00:09:12.610 of the fire, there was no obvious signs of trauma 00:09:12.610 --> 00:09:16.389 to her body, so police are not able to immediately 00:09:16.389 --> 00:09:20.490 determine a cause of death. Ultimately, her autopsy, 00:09:20.490 --> 00:09:22.370 which will take place over the next few days, 00:09:22.690 --> 00:09:25.330 will reveal that she was not sexually assaulted. 00:09:26.429 --> 00:09:29.509 For a cause of death, police have withheld this 00:09:29.509 --> 00:09:33.450 information. On the GBI website today, it says 00:09:33.450 --> 00:09:36.429 that her cause of death was an undetermined homicide. 00:09:37.169 --> 00:09:41.090 However, her parents have said years later that 00:09:41.090 --> 00:09:43.710 they unofficially have heard that the cause of 00:09:43.710 --> 00:09:47.289 death was strangulation. So ultimately, we have 00:09:47.289 --> 00:09:50.190 never had a confirmation of Rhonda's cause of 00:09:50.190 --> 00:09:54.029 death. Police believe that Rhonda was murdered 00:09:54.029 --> 00:09:57.399 elsewhere and dumped in this area. It didn't 00:09:57.399 --> 00:09:59.539 seem like anybody had really tried to hide her 00:09:59.539 --> 00:10:03.360 body beyond trying to burn it. She wasn't placed 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.940 in any of the nearby brushy areas. She was out 00:10:06.940 --> 00:10:09.799 in the open. It's reported that her body was 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:12.840 found either right on or very close to the logging 00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:16.620 road. Police do believe that her body had been 00:10:16.620 --> 00:10:19.679 there since Thursday night, likely placed there 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:22.200 not long after she was abducted from her vehicle. 00:10:23.690 --> 00:10:26.330 With the discovery of Rhonda's body, the Georgia 00:10:26.330 --> 00:10:29.909 Bureau of Investigation, or the GBI, get involved 00:10:29.909 --> 00:10:34.350 in the case. The next day on Monday, May 21st, 00:10:34.370 --> 00:10:37.269 Rhonda's friends and classmates are devastated 00:10:37.269 --> 00:10:40.929 by the murder of Rhonda. Counselors are brought 00:10:40.929 --> 00:10:43.070 in to talk to students and to be made available 00:10:43.070 --> 00:10:45.309 to anyone who needs to process what they're going 00:10:45.309 --> 00:10:50.470 through. A $2 ,000 reward is offered for information 00:10:50.470 --> 00:10:54.350 leading to the arrest nearly immediately. Police 00:10:54.350 --> 00:10:57.289 do say that they were able to rule out the boy 00:10:57.289 --> 00:10:59.570 that she had caught a ride with to and from the 00:10:59.570 --> 00:11:03.049 party. So the person that she had left her car 00:11:03.049 --> 00:11:04.950 at the convenience store with to go to the party. 00:11:06.970 --> 00:11:10.629 The next day, Tuesday, May 22nd. The community 00:11:10.629 --> 00:11:13.610 is on edge and police believe that they are justified 00:11:13.610 --> 00:11:16.870 in that fear. The sheriff at the time says, quote, 00:11:16.990 --> 00:11:19.610 a pretty sweet little girl like that who'd never 00:11:19.610 --> 00:11:23.120 done anything to anybody and some maniac. I don't 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:25.279 know what in the hell else you'd call them, to 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:28.019 do a thing like that to her? Sure, these kids 00:11:28.019 --> 00:11:30.320 ought to be scared. We've questioned a lot of 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:34.220 people, but no one has been arrested. Police 00:11:34.220 --> 00:11:35.980 say that at this point they have interviewed 00:11:35.980 --> 00:11:38.080 all of her friends, everyone that was at the 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:41.000 decorating party that night. Police still have 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:44.460 no leads in the case. They do say that they had 00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:47.440 a prime suspect, but he was eliminated after 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:51.419 he passed the polygraph. On Wednesday, May 23rd, 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:55.039 Just six days after she went missing, Rhonda 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:58.500 is laid to rest. Her service was standing room 00:11:58.500 --> 00:12:01.460 only, with many people standing in the vestibule 00:12:01.460 --> 00:12:04.799 of the church. Her funeral started with a reading 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:08.480 from Rhonda's English journal. Rhonda had been 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:10.559 dealing with the death of her classmate, and 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:13.120 she wrote, quote, Sometimes I just don't understand 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:17.200 God. While Rhonda's funeral service is going 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:19.919 on, police are in the parking lot in the nearby 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:22.840 blocks searching for a short bed pickup truck. 00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:26.000 This is based off of the hunter's tip who saw 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:28.980 the truck and heard the woman screaming. Police 00:12:28.980 --> 00:12:31.379 believe that her killer would likely be at the 00:12:31.379 --> 00:12:33.679 funeral since they believe that Rhonda knew her 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:39.039 killer. By June 1st, so it's been just over two 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:41.360 weeks since Rhonda was murdered, and police say 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:43.620 that they have no idea what the motive in this 00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:46.559 case would be. She wasn't robbed and she wasn't 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:51.039 assaulted. Police have no leads. The next day, 00:12:51.059 --> 00:12:54.480 June 2nd, the day that Rhonda should have graduated 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:58.019 high school, instead her parents are given her 00:12:58.019 --> 00:13:00.840 diploma at a very solemn graduation ceremony. 00:13:03.059 --> 00:13:06.519 Over the years, Rhonda's parents work very hard 00:13:06.519 --> 00:13:09.059 to keep her story in the media and on the top 00:13:09.059 --> 00:13:12.779 of police's priorities. The case is mentioned 00:13:12.779 --> 00:13:15.200 again and again over the years, especially around 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:18.200 the anniversary. However, no new information 00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:23.360 is really revealed for years. Police say time 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.480 and time again that they remain committed to 00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:27.759 solving Rhonda's case and that it's a top priority 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:31.240 for them. But still, no new leads, no suspects, 00:13:31.500 --> 00:13:36.480 no arrests. In June of 1996, so it would have 00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:40.080 been six years since Rhonda was murdered, Police 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:42.120 do say that they have a suspect in the case, 00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:44.460 but they do not have enough evidence to bring 00:13:44.460 --> 00:13:47.539 him to trial. They never name the suspect or 00:13:47.539 --> 00:13:50.460 give any clues or hints as to who he might have 00:13:50.460 --> 00:13:55.740 been in Rhonda's life. The community of Hazlehurst 00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:59.419 stays committed to Rhonda's case, too. Over the 00:13:59.419 --> 00:14:02.259 years, people continue to donate to her reward 00:14:02.259 --> 00:14:04.840 fund. Year after year, month after month, people 00:14:04.840 --> 00:14:09.000 continue to donate. By June of 1998, so eight 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:12.179 years since the murder, the reward fund had grown 00:14:12.179 --> 00:14:16.460 to over $36 ,000 and people were still donating 00:14:16.460 --> 00:14:22.139 in 1998. The sheriff then, Jimmy Boatwright, 00:14:22.259 --> 00:14:24.860 says, quote, The community is very interested 00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:27.879 in this case. We won't stop until we make an 00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:30.759 arrest. Even when I go to other places and say 00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:33.360 where I'm from, people say, that's the place 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.559 where the girl was abducted. Whatever happened 00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:40.360 in that case? It's around this time in 1998 that 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:42.539 police make a plea to the public for information. 00:14:43.419 --> 00:14:46.059 They ask that people not assume that they know 00:14:46.059 --> 00:14:48.860 something. They would rather get the same tips 00:14:48.860 --> 00:14:51.379 several times than not get a piece of information 00:14:51.379 --> 00:14:55.980 at all. Police say, quote, This case is a complicated 00:14:55.980 --> 00:14:59.000 jigsaw puzzle with a couple of crucial pieces 00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:03.379 missing. We're hoping the person or persons responsible 00:15:03.379 --> 00:15:06.179 have told somebody about it and that the guilt 00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:09.580 or greed will help those with knowledge to overcome 00:15:09.580 --> 00:15:13.159 whatever loyalty they feel to the killer. Police 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:15.000 say that they still don't have a motive in this 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.840 case. Quote, if we knew the motive, we'd have 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:23.169 somebody in jail. Years pass. Decades pass, but 00:15:23.169 --> 00:15:27.190 in June of 2021, so it's been 31 years since 00:15:27.190 --> 00:15:30.750 Rhonda's murder. And over the years, her parents 00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:33.830 had gotten frustrated and hired a private investigator 00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:37.690 to look into Rhonda's case as well. Her parents 00:15:37.690 --> 00:15:41.389 say that the private investigator made some eye 00:15:41.389 --> 00:15:44.549 -opening revelations, but the family declines 00:15:44.549 --> 00:15:47.080 to share the information with the media. wanting 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:49.299 to protect the integrity of the investigation 00:15:49.299 --> 00:15:54.080 at the police's request. A podcast called Fox 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:57.419 Hunter, which, full disclosure, I have not had 00:15:57.419 --> 00:16:00.399 the chance to listen to at all, so I can't vouch 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:04.240 for any of it, but they cover Rhonda's case in 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:08.919 a multi -episode podcast season. The listeners 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:12.340 of that podcast are able to raise... $100 ,000 00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:15.120 for the reward fund, and it generates a lot of 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:20.639 new interest and energy into Rhonda's case. In 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:24.460 2024, Rhonda's parents had helped draft the Baker 00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:28.019 -Coleman Act, which allows families to ask for 00:16:28.019 --> 00:16:31.100 police to reinvestigate cases after so much time 00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:34.840 has passed. With the passing of this act, it 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:37.759 also helps establish a cold case unit within 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:42.070 the GBI. With this effort, It results in an arrest 00:16:42.070 --> 00:16:44.789 for Baker, the other cold case that the bill 00:16:44.789 --> 00:16:48.029 was named after, but Rhonda's case still remains 00:16:48.029 --> 00:16:53.230 cold. As of 2024 and 2025 when we record this, 00:16:53.509 --> 00:16:56.110 no suspects have ever been named in the case 00:16:56.110 --> 00:17:00.129 and no motive has ever been revealed. So with 00:17:00.129 --> 00:17:02.669 that, if you know anything about the murder of 00:17:02.669 --> 00:17:06.980 Rhonda Sue Coleman in May of 1990, please contact 00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:14.599 the GBI Region 4 Douglas office at 912 -389 -4103. 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:19.700 So that is the cold case of Rhonda Sue Coleman. 00:17:21.220 --> 00:17:24.519 I always love hearing about the backstories of 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:27.240 the people that you bring to us at Cold and Missing, 00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:31.019 and I loved hearing about Rhonda. I loved that 00:17:31.019 --> 00:17:36.640 she was a tomboy and seemed to marched to the 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:40.039 beat of her own drum and I don't know she hearing 00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:42.839 about her reminded me of you actually um I could 00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:47.380 imagine her pretty instantly and um this is a 00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:49.559 this is a heartbreaking case and it seems solvable 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:54.099 to me yeah from hearing everyone talk about Rhonda 00:17:54.099 --> 00:17:58.380 and how much they loved her and how they knew 00:17:58.380 --> 00:18:00.700 Rhonda it definitely seems like she's somebody 00:18:00.700 --> 00:18:02.990 that Like, I personally would have got along 00:18:02.990 --> 00:18:05.990 great with. Like, we would have been pals if 00:18:05.990 --> 00:18:07.769 we were in high school at the same time. Like, 00:18:07.789 --> 00:18:10.390 definitely sounds like an incredible person. 00:18:10.430 --> 00:18:15.089 And yeah, I agree that this case is extraordinarily 00:18:15.089 --> 00:18:18.509 tragic. The timing of it is so horrible in a 00:18:18.509 --> 00:18:22.170 young person's life. And I do think this is solvable. 00:18:22.289 --> 00:18:25.529 I think there is a lot there. Yeah, just jumping 00:18:25.529 --> 00:18:29.480 right into the timeline. You know, we know she 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:33.339 was attending a party that evening and was with 00:18:33.339 --> 00:18:37.380 friends. But from the timeline that you shared 00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:43.980 with us, to me, it seems like the crime was maybe 00:18:43.980 --> 00:18:49.720 committed in the 10 p .m. to 10 .30 p .m. window. 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:55.180 And again, with what you shared, it seems narrowed 00:18:55.180 --> 00:18:57.769 down to me, and I just wanted to... Get your 00:18:57.769 --> 00:19:01.529 thoughts on that. Yeah. So the timeline, particularly 00:19:01.529 --> 00:19:05.329 around when she disappears, when she's abducted, 00:19:05.410 --> 00:19:09.069 it's a little different depending on the source. 00:19:09.250 --> 00:19:12.549 So some people report that it's around 10 that 00:19:12.549 --> 00:19:14.930 she's last seen. Some people say it's around 00:19:14.930 --> 00:19:18.190 1030 that she's last seen. But that likely would 00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:21.609 have made her late for her curfew if that's what 00:19:21.609 --> 00:19:25.599 she was aiming to do. For the timeline, you know, 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:28.579 I said around 10 she left the party, which is 00:19:28.579 --> 00:19:31.980 about what we know. But we're not quite sure, 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:36.240 at least I'm not quite sure, exactly the last 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:39.259 timing or the last time that Rhonda was seen. 00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:42.900 But definitely between 10 and 11, it seems very 00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:47.839 firm in that. The next notable event in the timeline, 00:19:48.099 --> 00:19:50.200 at least for me as I was taking in the information, 00:19:50.380 --> 00:19:53.069 is when... Her friend spots her car, and that's 00:19:53.069 --> 00:19:56.549 around 11, correct? Yeah, that does seem to be. 00:19:56.650 --> 00:19:59.829 Again, depending on sources, it puts it between 00:19:59.829 --> 00:20:04.430 10 .30 and 11, so right in there, though. Now, 00:20:04.430 --> 00:20:07.970 I know her dad makes his way to where her car 00:20:07.970 --> 00:20:12.069 is shortly after, and police are called. My question 00:20:12.069 --> 00:20:15.029 for you is, was the crime scene being compromised 00:20:15.029 --> 00:20:18.579 with the arrival of all of these people? Or were 00:20:18.579 --> 00:20:22.960 they being encouraged to not walk around, not 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:26.619 check the car? I'm curious as to what that looked 00:20:26.619 --> 00:20:30.599 like. It's a great question. So as far as the 00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:33.819 scene where the car was found, it's pretty unclear 00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:38.359 what measures were put into place that evening 00:20:38.359 --> 00:20:43.309 to protect it. as a crime scene um we know pretty 00:20:43.309 --> 00:20:46.190 immediately police do treat it seriously as a 00:20:46.190 --> 00:20:49.430 kidnapping so i'd like to think that there was 00:20:49.430 --> 00:20:52.369 some care around the car and trying to preserve 00:20:52.369 --> 00:20:56.750 evidence but i do think that her friend you know 00:20:56.750 --> 00:20:58.630 at one point went into the car when she first 00:20:58.630 --> 00:21:01.730 finds it um i read a report that she actually 00:21:01.730 --> 00:21:06.000 turned the engine off on the car so um Her friend 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:08.019 might have been in the car. I'm sure her dad 00:21:08.019 --> 00:21:10.240 looked over the car to see if anything was missing, 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:13.680 if he noticed anything about it. But I don't 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:18.059 have firm details on that. And that makes sense 00:21:18.059 --> 00:21:20.019 to me that, you know, friends and family would 00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:22.519 immediately interact with their loved one's car, 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:26.500 assuming. You know that something had happened, 00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:29.059 but not the worst. I don't think your mind would 00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:31.940 immediately jump to that. Even if it did, you're 00:21:31.940 --> 00:21:34.039 not saying it out loud. I think you're looking 00:21:34.039 --> 00:21:37.460 for clues, so that makes sense to me. This is 00:21:37.460 --> 00:21:40.619 kind of jumping backwards in the timeline, but 00:21:40.619 --> 00:21:45.279 the fox hunter said that he spotted and or heard 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:50.640 the car around 1030. Yeah, so I think he was 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:53.259 actually a raccoon hunter. Fox Hunter is the 00:21:53.259 --> 00:22:00.279 podcast name that covers it, yeah. But by all 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:02.980 reports that I can tell, I couldn't find the 00:22:02.980 --> 00:22:05.339 exact time, but it does seem like he came out 00:22:05.339 --> 00:22:08.720 of the woods maybe a little after 10 .30, and 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:11.920 that's around the time that he saw the car. It 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:14.059 seemed like he was leaving after hunting for 00:22:14.059 --> 00:22:16.700 the evening and going to his car when he saw 00:22:16.700 --> 00:22:19.339 that truck speed past him and heard the woman 00:22:19.339 --> 00:22:22.759 crying from the car. After this point in the 00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:26.299 timeline, it seems like her story really takes 00:22:26.299 --> 00:22:32.079 a turn at the community's helm. The turnout of 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:34.460 this community is so incredible, and we've heard 00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:37.160 it with other stories as well, but the commitment 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:41.579 to their loved one is really beautiful here. 00:22:41.740 --> 00:22:45.140 The way that they showed up for their community 00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:48.839 member for Rhonda was very beautiful. Oh, yeah. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:51.259 Like all the students were skipping school to 00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:54.339 help search for her, to pass out flyers. The 00:22:54.339 --> 00:22:57.559 town was papered in her picture less than 24 00:22:57.559 --> 00:23:00.660 hours after she went missing. So everyone was 00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:04.299 very committed to Rhonda and to bringing her 00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:09.579 home. Moving into the discovery of Rhonda's body, 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:16.359 I, of course, what a horrifying and deeply sad 00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:19.509 discovery. But the questions that come with that 00:23:19.509 --> 00:23:23.549 are, was she moved? Especially the state that 00:23:23.549 --> 00:23:28.109 her body was in. I want to know what you think 00:23:28.109 --> 00:23:30.250 about that. But of course, I also agree with 00:23:30.250 --> 00:23:33.029 law enforcement that even though she was discovered 00:23:33.029 --> 00:23:38.670 there, it seems placed. Maybe even, to me, specifically 00:23:38.670 --> 00:23:43.059 placed so she would be found. Yeah, I agree with 00:23:43.059 --> 00:23:45.640 police that it's it seems like she was murdered 00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:49.180 elsewhere and then her body was dumped there. 00:23:50.539 --> 00:23:54.680 Yeah, it does seem like it was almost placed 00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:57.720 with the intent of being found. All the police 00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:00.420 at the time said that it was like in an open 00:24:00.420 --> 00:24:03.980 area, like there was no hiding or attempt to 00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:07.420 hide the body at all. And there were reports 00:24:07.420 --> 00:24:10.660 that this area was like while it was out of the 00:24:10.660 --> 00:24:12.920 way, you know, was on a logging road. It was 00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:16.079 kind of known as like a lover's lane area. So 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:19.339 it seemed likely that somebody was going to be 00:24:19.339 --> 00:24:24.079 in that area soon. So, yeah, I think that maybe 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:28.160 there was, you know, intent for her to be found. 00:24:29.099 --> 00:24:33.400 Yeah, it certainly seems like it to me that they 00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:38.039 were. Kind of betting on the fact that someone 00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:40.720 would come around that area. And that's what 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:44.980 it seems like to me. Moving into, you know, who 00:24:44.980 --> 00:24:48.599 possibly committed this crime. I'm very interested 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.460 in when you spoke about law enforcement having 00:24:52.460 --> 00:24:55.200 a prime suspect and he was let go or they were 00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:58.799 let go after a polygraph test. You know, we know. 00:25:00.649 --> 00:25:02.890 About polygraph tests and how they hold up in 00:25:02.890 --> 00:25:05.029 court and what they mean now and what they can 00:25:05.029 --> 00:25:10.390 mean. I am I'm very curious as to who that person 00:25:10.390 --> 00:25:13.130 was and I wanted to know your opinion on that 00:25:13.130 --> 00:25:15.990 because a polygraph sometimes doesn't mean anything. 00:25:16.349 --> 00:25:19.869 I agree. I thought the same thing. I'd wondered 00:25:19.869 --> 00:25:22.529 if police had gone back to this person knowing 00:25:22.529 --> 00:25:24.670 what we know today about polygraph tests and 00:25:24.670 --> 00:25:30.079 how they're not always reliable. Yeah, I. I have 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:33.220 to think with, you know, the police's commitment 00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:36.579 to this case over the years, like it has been 00:25:36.579 --> 00:25:39.440 actively worked and, you know, it got a lot more 00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:41.720 energy over the last few years with podcasts 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.599 covering it. So I have to think that police would 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:49.519 go back to that quote unquote prime suspect and. 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:53.359 truly eliminate them if it was anything else. 00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:55.380 Or maybe they had more at the time beyond the 00:25:55.380 --> 00:25:58.380 polygraph. They also had an alibi or whatever 00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:00.779 else they needed to rule that person out. But 00:26:00.779 --> 00:26:03.720 yeah, I'm definitely curious about who that person 00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:07.920 is and what's been done as of 2025 to rule him 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:12.440 out beyond the polygraph. I do think that it 00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:15.880 is incredible of the family that they hired their 00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:19.369 own PI, even though It's really sad that people 00:26:19.369 --> 00:26:21.930 have to do that often in these cases. I still 00:26:21.930 --> 00:26:25.630 think it's incredible of the family to do that 00:26:25.630 --> 00:26:28.289 on their loved one's behalf and to have answers 00:26:28.289 --> 00:26:30.950 and maybe some justice. And it sounds like to 00:26:30.950 --> 00:26:33.490 me that some stuff was uncovered that they know 00:26:33.490 --> 00:26:36.970 about. And I know law enforcement did encourage 00:26:36.970 --> 00:26:39.849 them to keep their hand close to their chest, 00:26:39.970 --> 00:26:43.009 and they have done that. But it seems like they 00:26:43.009 --> 00:26:49.039 know something. I hope that whatever they know 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:53.380 has brought them even a fraction of peace or 00:26:53.380 --> 00:26:56.740 justice so that their lives are a little bit 00:26:56.740 --> 00:26:58.980 easier after having gone through what they've 00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:02.480 gone through. But I'm hopeful that more information 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:17.579 will come out. The accuracy or anything like 00:27:17.579 --> 00:27:20.339 that, I don't listen to podcasts about cases 00:27:20.339 --> 00:27:23.180 we're covering because I want to try to just 00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:26.420 stick to the facts and the reporting. That being 00:27:26.420 --> 00:27:30.339 said, I do know that that podcast generated a 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:32.960 lot of interest in this case. And I think they 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.519 even were able to interview and uncover connections 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:40.460 that maybe before weren't known to police, perhaps. 00:27:40.539 --> 00:27:45.670 So I hope with this, you know. energy in Rhonda's 00:27:45.670 --> 00:27:49.730 case and the new information and the commitment 00:27:49.730 --> 00:27:53.170 that the community has made to Rhonda that we'll 00:27:53.170 --> 00:27:56.849 find closure. And, you know, on her parents, 00:27:57.069 --> 00:28:00.849 they are incredible humans and, you know, they 00:28:00.849 --> 00:28:04.299 speak so beautifully about Rhonda and... you 00:28:04.299 --> 00:28:06.539 know, carrying the weight of her death all these 00:28:06.539 --> 00:28:09.500 years. But it really sounds like for her parents 00:28:09.500 --> 00:28:12.319 that seeing some justice in this case, having 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:15.619 somebody answer for what was done to their daughter 00:28:15.619 --> 00:28:19.160 would mean a lot to them. And, you know, there's 00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:22.039 never really moving on from this, but it would 00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:25.099 give them, you know, that piece of the puzzle 00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:29.289 is done, like that door can be closed. for justice 00:28:29.289 --> 00:28:31.849 at least. So I really hope that happens for this 00:28:31.849 --> 00:28:34.410 family because all of our families are incredibly 00:28:34.410 --> 00:28:37.069 deserving, but I really want it for Rhonda's 00:28:37.069 --> 00:28:40.710 family in this case. Again, if you know anything 00:28:40.710 --> 00:28:44.049 about the murder of Rhonda Sue Coleman in May 00:28:44.049 --> 00:28:48.150 of 1990, please call the GBI Region 4 Douglas 00:28:48.150 --> 00:28:55.660 office at 912 -389 -4103. And we will have pictures 00:28:55.660 --> 00:28:59.099 of Rhonda on our Instagram at coldandmissing. 00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:01.740 We're also going to have a picture that police 00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:04.640 have provided over the years of her car the night 00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:07.720 it was found. So you'll be able to see the state 00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:09.539 that it was found in with the door open and everything. 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:13.220 So that will be on our Instagram at coldandmissing. 00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:16.559 And if you're not following us, I do encourage 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.339 you to follow us. We've had a lot of new followers, 00:29:18.420 --> 00:29:20.500 so welcome everyone who's found us recently. 00:29:21.339 --> 00:29:23.799 But if we ever need to take a week off, if something 00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:25.940 comes up, if life happens, we'll always post 00:29:25.940 --> 00:29:28.720 it there. And we're also posting active missing 00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:31.240 person cases in our stories, just trying to spread 00:29:31.240 --> 00:29:33.599 the word. So follow us there. Great resource 00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:35.859 for keeping up with the pod and the true crime 00:29:35.859 --> 00:29:39.150 community. Also, if you could take a minute today 00:29:39.150 --> 00:29:41.650 to rate and review us in your podcast player, 00:29:41.809 --> 00:29:44.230 it helps so much for others to find this podcast, 00:29:44.430 --> 00:29:47.609 to listen to the podcast, and to get these stories 00:29:47.609 --> 00:29:50.509 out there. Five stars goes a long way in the 00:29:50.509 --> 00:29:53.250 algorithm machine. So please, five stars if you 00:29:53.250 --> 00:29:56.140 can today. That would be... gorgeous thank you 00:29:56.140 --> 00:29:57.859 so much to all those who've done it we got some 00:29:57.859 --> 00:30:00.160 really gorgeous reviews this past week so thank 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:02.420 you to everyone who's taken the time to do that 00:30:02.420 --> 00:30:05.759 truly i appreciate it so much and it makes my 00:30:05.759 --> 00:30:07.759 day like you would not even believe i'm over 00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:10.849 the moon when we get a new review And if you 00:30:10.849 --> 00:30:12.750 or your loved one is hard of hearing, we will 00:30:12.750 --> 00:30:15.950 have transcripts of this episode, official transcripts 00:30:15.950 --> 00:30:18.289 that have correct spelling and all that on our 00:30:18.289 --> 00:30:20.390 website at Cold and Missing. So if you're looking 00:30:20.390 --> 00:30:22.849 for that resource, it's there along with all 00:30:22.849 --> 00:30:25.630 of our other episodes from the last three years 00:30:25.630 --> 00:30:28.109 because we've been a podcast for three full years. 00:30:28.309 --> 00:30:32.269 So all the episodes can be found there. But that 00:30:32.269 --> 00:30:35.190 is all I have for you this week. Thank you so 00:30:35.190 --> 00:30:37.190 much for listening to Cold and Missing. I'm your 00:30:37.190 --> 00:30:40.430 host, Ali. And I'm your co -host, Eli. Have 00:30:40.430 --> 00:30:43.109 a good week and stay safe, y 'all. Stay safe, 00:30:43.150 --> 00:30:43.349 y 'all.