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 --> 00:00:18.969 proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing 00:00:18.969 --> 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 --> 00:00:28.989 -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 --> 00:00:34.850 cold cases and missing person cases. Hello, everyone, 00:00:34.850 --> 00:00:37.159 and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:39.719 host, Ali, and it will just be me coming to 00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:42.979 you this week. I actually have to travel for 00:00:42.979 --> 00:00:46.840 my day job, so I am doing some traveling, some 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:49.539 work travel this week, and Eli and I are not 00:00:49.539 --> 00:00:52.479 together this week, and I'm terribly sad and 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:56.320 I miss him so much, but I just wanted to still 00:00:56.320 --> 00:01:00.659 bring you another episode this week. Right at 00:01:00.659 --> 00:01:02.420 the top, I just wanted to say thank you again 00:01:02.420 --> 00:01:04.620 to everyone who's been able to leave us reviews 00:01:04.620 --> 00:01:09.379 recently or recommend us. I was actually on Reddit 00:01:09.379 --> 00:01:12.040 and it was like somebody asking for a recommendation 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:14.159 of podcast and somebody on there was like, Cold 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:17.120 and Missing is my favorite in the comment section. 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:20.659 And I was like really blown away by that. Thank 00:01:20.659 --> 00:01:23.000 you to whoever that was. I'm not going to say 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:25.799 their Reddit username here, but thank you for 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:27.799 mentioning us. Like, it just meant a lot to me. 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:30.700 I was like, this is really cool that someone's 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:32.439 doing that. So thank you if you're recommending 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:37.359 us, telling your friends, family that enjoy True 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:39.180 Crime about our podcast. I just really appreciate 00:01:39.180 --> 00:01:41.819 it. So thank you for reviewing. Thank you for 00:01:41.819 --> 00:01:44.659 recommending us to people. It really helps get 00:01:44.659 --> 00:01:47.239 these cases out there, which is, you know, the 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:50.329 whole mission here at Cold and Missing. But with 00:01:50.329 --> 00:01:53.450 that said, I think we should just go ahead and 00:01:53.450 --> 00:01:57.049 get into this week's episode. We are on a cold 00:01:57.049 --> 00:02:02.609 case this week, and this is episode 146. And 00:02:02.609 --> 00:02:04.670 just as a bit of a content warning at the top, 00:02:04.829 --> 00:02:08.650 this case does involve a young person. Today, 00:02:08.650 --> 00:02:12.129 we are talking about the cold case of Levi Frady, 00:02:12.310 --> 00:02:15.909 and this takes place in Forsyth County, Georgia, 00:02:16.050 --> 00:02:21.400 in October of 1997. But first, a little bit about 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:25.500 Levi. Levi was just 11 years old in October of 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:29.620 1997. He lived with his mother, Marilyn, and 00:02:29.620 --> 00:02:32.580 his twin sister, Lacey, on Burris Mill Road, 00:02:32.780 --> 00:02:35.939 a quiet rural stretch of Forsyth County, Georgia. 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:40.300 Levi loved the country and loved living in such 00:02:40.300 --> 00:02:44.060 a rural environment. He loved spending time outdoors. 00:02:45.180 --> 00:02:48.099 Levi's parents were separated, but Levi and his 00:02:48.099 --> 00:02:50.960 sister still saw their dad quite often and thought 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:54.439 the world of him. Levi loved exploring the woods 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:57.740 near his home, riding his beloved red and black 00:02:57.740 --> 00:03:00.659 bicycle to visit friends, and enjoyed shooting 00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:03.879 his BB gun in the open fields. He was curious, 00:03:04.099 --> 00:03:07.800 adventurous, and full of life. His grandfather, 00:03:08.259 --> 00:03:11.840 Lamar Frady, once said, That bicycle up there 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:15.840 was his best friend. That's all he had. Levi 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:19.259 loved pizza, his grandmother's pancakes, fishing, 00:03:19.580 --> 00:03:22.400 roller coasters, and was teaching himself to 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:25.520 play his grandmother's piano. He was scared of 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:29.560 the dark. That Halloween, he wanted to be G .I. 00:03:29.580 --> 00:03:33.300 Joe. Those who knew Levi remembered his smile 00:03:33.300 --> 00:03:37.500 and energy. His children's minister, Joseph Hamley, 00:03:37.659 --> 00:03:40.620 described him as, quote, he could bring a smile 00:03:40.620 --> 00:03:45.360 to your heart very easily. And now a timeline 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:53.099 of events. Wednesday, October 22nd, 1997. This 00:03:53.099 --> 00:03:56.280 was a pretty notable day. It was the fifth day 00:03:56.280 --> 00:04:00.219 of the World Series. Levi had a regular day at 00:04:00.219 --> 00:04:04.439 school, and after school, at around 4 .15, he 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:07.699 left home on his bike to go to his friend Roman's 00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:10.580 house. The two of them had planned to do their 00:04:10.580 --> 00:04:14.219 homework together. Levi was expected to be home 00:04:14.219 --> 00:04:17.800 at 6 .30 in time for dinner. According to some 00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:21.379 reports, Levi does call home at one point. His 00:04:21.379 --> 00:04:23.519 mom was in the bathtub, so his twin sister picked 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:28.139 up. Levi asked his sister to ask their mom if 00:04:28.139 --> 00:04:29.939 it would be okay if he stayed for dinner with 00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:32.100 a different friend. Him and Roman were going 00:04:32.100 --> 00:04:35.319 to go to a third friend's house for dinner. Marilyn 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:41.160 told Lacey to tell Levi to come home. When 6 00:04:41.160 --> 00:04:45.180 .30 rolled around, Levi's curfew, he didn't walk 00:04:45.180 --> 00:04:48.319 through the front door. At first, his mother 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:51.160 and sister weren't worried. He had been late 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:54.579 before. He had pushed that 6 .30 time more than 00:04:54.579 --> 00:04:59.279 once. However, by 7, they started to worry a 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:03.339 little bit. The minutes kept ticking by. Finally... 00:05:03.709 --> 00:05:06.850 A little bit after 7, Marilyn and Lacey decided 00:05:06.850 --> 00:05:09.589 to go out and get Levi and bring him home for 00:05:09.589 --> 00:05:13.649 dinner. While they're out, Lacey was the first 00:05:13.649 --> 00:05:16.889 to spot Levi's bike. It was lying in a ditch 00:05:16.889 --> 00:05:19.589 on Little Mill Road, about a mile from their 00:05:19.589 --> 00:05:23.269 home. The kickstand was folded up, and the tires 00:05:23.269 --> 00:05:25.850 were slightly low, but that was normal for Levi's 00:05:25.850 --> 00:05:28.509 bike. He liked a softer landing when he went 00:05:28.509 --> 00:05:32.009 off of a ramp. According to Lacey, Her mother 00:05:32.009 --> 00:05:33.889 didn't really have a reaction when they found 00:05:33.889 --> 00:05:37.209 the bike. We do know that Marilyn and Lacey go 00:05:37.209 --> 00:05:41.370 to Roman's house at about 7 .15. Roman tells 00:05:41.370 --> 00:05:44.910 them that Levi had left around 7. Roman tells 00:05:44.910 --> 00:05:47.269 them that he had watched his friend pedal off 00:05:47.269 --> 00:05:51.009 down Crow Road. If Levi had taken Crow Road, 00:05:51.189 --> 00:05:54.170 it would have been the longer route home. However, 00:05:54.509 --> 00:05:57.509 Levi usually took the longer route. There were 00:05:57.509 --> 00:06:00.449 some big barking dogs on the shorter way that 00:06:00.449 --> 00:06:03.810 he liked to avoid. Marilyn decides to try the 00:06:03.810 --> 00:06:06.790 third friend's house, the friend that Levi wanted 00:06:06.790 --> 00:06:10.410 to have dinner with. She thought that maybe he 00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:12.529 went to go have dinner anyway, even though she 00:06:12.529 --> 00:06:15.350 had said no. When Marilyn arrives at the house, 00:06:15.410 --> 00:06:17.769 she knocks on the door and waits, but nobody 00:06:17.769 --> 00:06:21.829 comes and answers the door. She assumes that 00:06:21.829 --> 00:06:24.009 the family must have gone out for dinner and 00:06:24.009 --> 00:06:27.560 taken Levi with them. With that thought, she 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:31.480 turns around and takes her and Lacey home. Marilyn 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:34.600 stays up waiting, but eventually she does fall 00:06:34.600 --> 00:06:38.040 asleep. In the early hours of Thursday, October 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:43.360 23rd, Marilyn wakes up around 2 a .m. She realizes 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:47.740 that Levi has not come home. She went back out. 00:06:47.800 --> 00:06:50.300 She goes back to that third friend's house and 00:06:50.300 --> 00:06:53.600 knocks on the door. But at that early hour, nobody 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:56.660 answers. Marilyn thinks that everyone must be 00:06:56.660 --> 00:06:59.980 inside and asleep. She assumes that her son is 00:06:59.980 --> 00:07:04.560 also safe inside the home, sleeping. However, 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:09.100 the morning didn't bring any signs of Levi. He 00:07:09.100 --> 00:07:11.180 didn't come home, and he didn't show up for school. 00:07:11.980 --> 00:07:15.699 By 8 .30 a .m., Marilyn decides to call the police 00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:19.040 and report him missing. Very quickly, about 100 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:22.480 officers and volunteers begin searching the area 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:25.180 around Levi's home and where the bike was found. 00:07:25.399 --> 00:07:28.019 They really focus on where the bike was found 00:07:28.019 --> 00:07:31.360 first, spanning out from that area. For seven 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:34.220 hours, they combed thick brush and undergrowth, 00:07:34.379 --> 00:07:38.040 but found no clues of where Levi might be. Until 00:07:38.040 --> 00:07:41.160 around 2 .30 that afternoon. At around 2 .30, 00:07:41.610 --> 00:07:44.910 Three hunters in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management 00:07:44.910 --> 00:07:48.189 Area, which was about 15 miles from where Levi 00:07:48.189 --> 00:07:50.790 was last seen, they make a devastating discovery. 00:07:51.209 --> 00:07:55.550 They find Levi. He is still fully clothed. He's 00:07:55.550 --> 00:07:58.550 laying face up, but a portion of his upper body 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:01.170 had been submerged in water that had gathered 00:08:01.170 --> 00:08:05.089 in a pit. About 20 feet away from the body was 00:08:05.089 --> 00:08:08.189 a large pool of blood, and a few feet from there 00:08:08.189 --> 00:08:11.839 was Levi's backpack. The hunters head out of 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:13.959 the woods and flag down a police car to report 00:08:13.959 --> 00:08:17.079 the findings as quickly as they can. Police halt 00:08:17.079 --> 00:08:19.740 the search for Levi and head over to the woods. 00:08:20.699 --> 00:08:23.560 Police at first are not able to determine a cause 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:26.379 of death, so they decide to wait on an autopsy 00:08:26.379 --> 00:08:29.600 before announcing anything officially. They start 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:33.059 searching that wooded area for clues. We do know 00:08:33.059 --> 00:08:34.679 that they are able to collect some evidence. 00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:37.659 For instance, we do know that they are able to 00:08:37.659 --> 00:08:40.539 create a cast of tire tracks found in that area. 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:45.379 The day after finding Levi's body, Friday, October 00:08:45.379 --> 00:08:50.259 24th, his autopsy is conducted. He had been fatally 00:08:50.259 --> 00:08:53.779 shot. But police don't release details at this 00:08:53.779 --> 00:08:56.240 time. They don't say how many times he had been 00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:00.580 shot or where. Preliminary autopsy results showed 00:09:00.580 --> 00:09:04.200 no signs of sexual assault. Ballistic experts 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:06.820 began working to identify the type of firearm 00:09:06.820 --> 00:09:09.840 that was used, but again, police refused to disclose 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:14.600 specifics. However, after the autopsy, authorities 00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:18.480 emphasized that Levi's death was not an accident. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:23.840 It was a homicide. The rural community was reeling. 00:09:24.659 --> 00:09:27.480 Crimes against children simply did not happen 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:30.940 in this area. Parents no longer let children 00:09:30.940 --> 00:09:33.440 walk alone from bus stops, and neighbors kept 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:37.340 a vigilant eye on one another. Marilyn was devastated. 00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:40.879 But this was not the first person she had lost 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:44.100 in this way. Her father had been shot and killed 00:09:44.100 --> 00:09:47.879 15 years earlier, though police confirmed that 00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:50.120 there was no connection between these two cases. 00:09:52.009 --> 00:09:56.009 On Saturday, October 25th, police get to work 00:09:56.009 --> 00:09:58.090 interviewing families, friends, and neighbors. 00:09:59.009 --> 00:10:02.210 Police consider everyone a suspect but truly 00:10:02.210 --> 00:10:05.289 believe that Levi's killer was known to him because 00:10:05.289 --> 00:10:08.090 statistically, that is the most likely scenario. 00:10:09.049 --> 00:10:11.789 We know that Marilyn is interviewed for hours 00:10:11.789 --> 00:10:14.250 and she's given a polygraph test at some point. 00:10:14.950 --> 00:10:18.490 In addition, police are also wanting to question 00:10:18.490 --> 00:10:22.240 Levi's dad, Milton. However, Milton was laying 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:25.639 low. He had an outstanding warrant for burglary 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:28.000 charges from a few years before Levi's murder, 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:30.559 so he was trying to avoid the police at this 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:35.419 time. On Sunday, October 26, just three days 00:10:35.419 --> 00:10:38.980 after his body was found, Levi is laid to rest. 00:10:40.460 --> 00:10:43.460 Hundreds show up to pay respects to the little 00:10:43.460 --> 00:10:46.740 boy, so much so that they're spilling out of 00:10:46.740 --> 00:10:50.090 the church and into the lobby and hallways. Police 00:10:50.090 --> 00:10:52.710 are at the funeral, and they're looking for Milton 00:10:52.710 --> 00:10:57.129 to question him. However, Milton skips his son's 00:10:57.129 --> 00:11:00.669 funeral out of fear of the police. On Monday, 00:11:00.730 --> 00:11:03.750 October 27th, this is the day after the funeral, 00:11:03.929 --> 00:11:06.570 and police are still very tight -lipped about 00:11:06.570 --> 00:11:10.350 specifics in this case. It does seem like they 00:11:10.350 --> 00:11:13.330 were able to determine what kind of gun was used, 00:11:13.549 --> 00:11:16.929 but they don't give us any details. No caliber. 00:11:17.929 --> 00:11:20.370 No casings, no bullet type, nothing. We don't 00:11:20.370 --> 00:11:23.570 have any details about what type of gun was used. 00:11:24.330 --> 00:11:26.610 Police continue to interview family, friends, 00:11:26.669 --> 00:11:28.470 and neighbors, but they keep running into dead 00:11:28.470 --> 00:11:31.909 ends. No one is emerging as a suspect at this 00:11:31.909 --> 00:11:36.289 point. On Wednesday, October 29th, just shy of 00:11:36.289 --> 00:11:39.850 a week of Levi's murder, and Milton turns himself 00:11:39.850 --> 00:11:43.240 in to police. Police question him for hours, 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:46.460 and ultimately, they rule him out as a suspect 00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:50.700 in his son's murder. However, they do arrest 00:11:50.700 --> 00:11:53.519 him on the outstanding warrant and take him to 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:56.899 jail. We also know on this day that police are 00:11:56.899 --> 00:11:59.039 desperate for a lead or a break in the case. 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:02.639 They set up roadblocks near where Levi's bike 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:05.600 was found and stop every car that passes by. 00:12:06.379 --> 00:12:08.960 They ask every driver where they were on the 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:11.440 night that Levi was murdered and compare tires 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:14.159 to the tire track treads that they were able 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:17.379 to get from the crime scene. However, nothing 00:12:17.379 --> 00:12:20.539 comes of this. We do know that police were able 00:12:20.539 --> 00:12:22.820 to get other evidence. They mentioned that all 00:12:22.820 --> 00:12:25.559 of the evidence collected is a priority at the 00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:29.110 state lab. However, we have no details on what 00:12:29.110 --> 00:12:31.610 kind of evidence was collected or if there were 00:12:31.610 --> 00:12:34.570 any results, such as DNA, that was collected 00:12:34.570 --> 00:12:37.909 as a result of the testing. On Halloween that 00:12:37.909 --> 00:12:42.490 year, the mood is somber in Forsyth County. Levi 00:12:42.490 --> 00:12:44.789 was not able to go as the G .I. Joe he wanted 00:12:44.789 --> 00:12:48.090 to, and parents keep an eye on all of the trick 00:12:48.090 --> 00:12:50.629 -or -treaters that evening. Police continued 00:12:50.629 --> 00:12:53.980 the investigation. Police say at about a week 00:12:53.980 --> 00:12:57.039 that they have interviewed over 200 people, but 00:12:57.039 --> 00:12:59.159 they still don't have any leads or suspects in 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:02.519 the case. Investigators explored the possibility 00:13:02.519 --> 00:13:05.559 that Levi's murder was retaliation against his 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:08.419 father due to past criminal involvement, but 00:13:08.419 --> 00:13:10.820 there was no strong evidence suggesting this. 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:15.220 On November 5, 1997, two weeks since the murder, 00:13:15.500 --> 00:13:18.580 police released sketches of two men they hoped 00:13:18.580 --> 00:13:20.759 would come forward so that way they could talk 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:23.710 to them. One of the men does end up coming forward 00:13:23.710 --> 00:13:26.750 and police question him and he gives some information 00:13:26.750 --> 00:13:29.769 to police and police run it down. Nothing really 00:13:29.769 --> 00:13:32.629 comes out of that. The man is ruled out as, you 00:13:32.629 --> 00:13:34.529 know, any person of interest or suspect in the 00:13:34.529 --> 00:13:36.730 case and he doesn't have anything to add that 00:13:36.730 --> 00:13:41.029 helps Levi's case. The other man, according to 00:13:41.029 --> 00:13:43.950 police, was seen in the Dawson Forest Wildlife 00:13:43.950 --> 00:13:46.710 Management Area around the time of Levi's murder. 00:13:47.720 --> 00:13:50.240 He's described as a white male. He would have 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:54.259 been around 45 to 55 years old. He was clean 00:13:54.259 --> 00:13:57.899 -shaven and was around 6 foot. Slim build with 00:13:57.899 --> 00:14:02.500 white or gray hair. The man was driving a 1980 00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:07.120 to 1985 medium blue Toyota two -wheel drive pickup 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:09.519 truck with a white camper shell over the bed 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:12.440 of the truck. To date, police have never been 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:15.220 able to find this man to talk to him about Levi's 00:14:15.220 --> 00:14:20.629 case. On November 9th, police confirm that they 00:14:20.629 --> 00:14:23.350 believe that Levi was abducted. They believe 00:14:23.350 --> 00:14:25.789 Levi had been taken off of his bike and driven 00:14:25.789 --> 00:14:28.309 to the woods and then he was killed in the woods. 00:14:28.909 --> 00:14:31.750 The family tell media that they had been told 00:14:31.750 --> 00:14:35.309 that Levi was shot in the head. The next update 00:14:35.309 --> 00:14:38.929 comes on December 20th, 1997, so this would be 00:14:38.929 --> 00:14:42.950 nearly two months after Levi's murder. His family 00:14:42.950 --> 00:14:45.330 and friends are faced with the first holiday 00:14:45.330 --> 00:14:49.059 without him. Investigators do believe that Levi 00:14:49.059 --> 00:14:52.539 got into the car voluntarily. They don't think 00:14:52.539 --> 00:14:54.620 that he was forced off of his bike and into the 00:14:54.620 --> 00:14:58.519 car. Therefore, police think that Levi recognized 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:01.659 the person driving the car. But beyond that, 00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:05.039 they don't really have a lead. Levi's family 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:07.759 thinks this is preposterous. They don't think 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.299 that anyone in Levi's life would do this to the 00:15:10.299 --> 00:15:14.960 little boy. On January 9th, 1998, So it's been 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:17.820 over two months since Levi's murder, and police 00:15:17.820 --> 00:15:20.539 release another sketch of another person that 00:15:20.539 --> 00:15:23.639 they would like to talk to. According to police, 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:27.139 around 6 .30, a witness saw a man walking along 00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:29.960 Little Mill Road the day that Levi was abducted. 00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:34.039 He was a white male in his late 50s with a scruffy 00:15:34.039 --> 00:15:37.159 gray beard. He was wearing a faded blue baseball 00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:40.740 cap and walked with a stoop. Police believe that 00:15:40.740 --> 00:15:43.860 he could be the key to unlocking the case. They 00:15:43.860 --> 00:15:46.639 think this man must have seen who took Levi, 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:49.720 since Levi's bike was found on Little Mill Road. 00:15:50.740 --> 00:15:54.940 In June of 1998, so it's been nine months since 00:15:54.940 --> 00:15:57.919 Levi's murder, and Marilyn talks with the media 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:01.279 for the first time. She says that everything 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:04.059 that she kind of knows about Levi's case, she 00:16:04.059 --> 00:16:06.779 learned through the questions that police gave 00:16:06.779 --> 00:16:10.440 her during the polygraph test. For example, she 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:13.830 says the police would ask her, Did you know that 00:16:13.830 --> 00:16:17.690 Levi was shot three times? Because of this, she 00:16:17.690 --> 00:16:21.370 believes that her son was shot three times. She 00:16:21.370 --> 00:16:23.649 tells the media she believes it's twice in the 00:16:23.649 --> 00:16:26.090 chest and once in the head, based off of the 00:16:26.090 --> 00:16:29.450 questions that police had asked her. However, 00:16:29.649 --> 00:16:32.649 really after this, the case appears to really 00:16:32.649 --> 00:16:36.590 go cold for years. The first anniversary in October 00:16:36.590 --> 00:16:40.070 of 1998 comes and goes without any new information. 00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:45.360 In October of 1999, so that's the two -year anniversary, 00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:50.259 the GBI is still working on the case. But they 00:16:50.259 --> 00:16:52.940 say that it is one of the rarest cases they've 00:16:52.940 --> 00:16:57.539 ever had. GBI profiler Jim Hallman says, quote, 00:16:57.700 --> 00:17:01.419 We've never had another case in the country where 00:17:01.419 --> 00:17:03.779 a child was taken and murdered for no apparent 00:17:03.779 --> 00:17:07.180 reason. It's as if somebody rode down the road 00:17:07.180 --> 00:17:12.099 and spirited him away. In April of 2000, a task 00:17:12.099 --> 00:17:14.900 force is created following a petition from over 00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:18.700 2 ,000 local residents asking for closure in 00:17:18.700 --> 00:17:21.839 Levi's case. The task force does seem to get 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:24.519 together and work on Levi's case. They go over 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:27.559 all the information they have, but the GBI isn't 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:30.680 involved in the task force. They're invited, 00:17:30.779 --> 00:17:33.400 but they decide not to participate. The task 00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:36.759 force is made up of Forsyth and Dawson County 00:17:36.759 --> 00:17:41.079 police. However, it doesn't appear that the task 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:45.519 force really finds any new information. In 2002, 00:17:45.900 --> 00:17:49.220 it's been five years since Levi's murder, and 00:17:49.220 --> 00:17:52.440 Georgia implemented an Amber Alert system named 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:55.940 in Levi's honor. It's called Levi's Call in Georgia. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:00.960 Levi's Call has gone on to recover many abducted 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:05.740 children in Georgia, which is amazing. In 2017, 00:18:06.589 --> 00:18:09.950 so that's 20 years since Levi was murdered. And 00:18:09.950 --> 00:18:12.950 his mother reflected, quote, There's still nothing 00:18:12.950 --> 00:18:16.450 after all this time. I've heard so many rumors. 00:18:16.609 --> 00:18:20.069 I know that somebody knows. It has to have been 00:18:20.069 --> 00:18:22.890 more than one person that knows. To me, it's 00:18:22.890 --> 00:18:27.869 just mind -boggling. His twin sister, Lacey, 00:18:28.130 --> 00:18:32.589 now has a son older than Levi ever was. But the 00:18:32.589 --> 00:18:35.920 son brings so much joy to the family. But that 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:39.500 is truly all we know about Levi's murder. So 00:18:39.500 --> 00:18:41.819 if you know anything about the murder of Levi 00:18:41.819 --> 00:18:47.339 Frady in October of 1997, please call the Georgia 00:18:47.339 --> 00:18:51.680 Bureau of Investigation tip line at 1 -800 -587 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:59.339 -8471. So that is the case of Levi Frady. When 00:18:59.339 --> 00:19:03.539 I first read about Levi's case, the first thing 00:19:03.539 --> 00:19:07.980 that I... I really took note of was that he was 00:19:07.980 --> 00:19:11.380 a twin. You know, in so many cases that we cover, 00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:15.299 most of them, you know, our victims or the people 00:19:15.299 --> 00:19:18.079 missing, they do have siblings. You know, that's 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:21.259 very common, but very few of them have twins. 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:25.900 And for Levi to have a twin sister, something 00:19:25.900 --> 00:19:32.119 about that bond and this tragedy happening. Like 00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:34.180 that really devastated me in a way that like 00:19:34.180 --> 00:19:37.059 truly I'll never understand. I am not a twin. 00:19:37.099 --> 00:19:40.740 I don't know what that bond is like. But seeing 00:19:40.740 --> 00:19:44.079 that bond, you know, in my friends who are twins 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:50.119 is always something that is very different than 00:19:50.119 --> 00:19:52.180 any other sibling relationship that I've encountered. 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:56.599 And, you know, my heart just really, really goes 00:19:56.599 --> 00:19:59.670 out to. Of course, Levi's family, but especially 00:19:59.670 --> 00:20:05.049 his twin sister and just the heartache that the 00:20:05.049 --> 00:20:10.950 family must feel, you know, and the juxtaposition 00:20:10.950 --> 00:20:14.089 that must happen around, you know, birthdays. 00:20:14.250 --> 00:20:16.210 Like, of course, it's such a sad day because 00:20:16.210 --> 00:20:19.269 it's a year that Levi's not getting, but then 00:20:19.269 --> 00:20:22.069 you want to celebrate for, you know, the year 00:20:22.069 --> 00:20:25.480 that his sister is getting. I can't even imagine 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:27.720 what that family has gone through. And truly, 00:20:27.819 --> 00:20:31.680 my heart goes out to them and their family and 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.960 their healing. You know, I think ultimately in 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:39.500 this case is we need some answers. There's no 00:20:39.500 --> 00:20:43.240 moving on from murder cases. There's no closing 00:20:43.240 --> 00:20:45.059 a door. You know, that's something I've heard 00:20:45.059 --> 00:20:54.960 again and again from families. minds around it 00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:00.680 help the community this case is mind -boggling 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:03.039 I think his mother said that mind -boggling like 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:08.359 and it is it's why I mean the biggest question 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:12.359 the overarching question here is just why was 00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:18.880 Levi killed what happened there you know that 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:22.519 that quote from the GBI profiler about You know, 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:24.519 there's no other case where a child has been 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:27.559 murdered without motive. And, you know, I'm trying 00:21:27.559 --> 00:21:30.220 to think of one to point to differently, but 00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:32.240 it's like I really can't. And, you know, when 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:34.740 children are murdered, typically we can kind 00:21:34.740 --> 00:21:36.900 of see a little bit of the motive there. But 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:41.660 in Levi's case, there's really no motive. You 00:21:41.660 --> 00:21:43.660 know, we know he was not sexually assaulted. 00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:46.660 It doesn't seem like he was robbed. His backpack 00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:48.740 was there, and I don't think he had anything. 00:21:49.420 --> 00:21:52.279 truly of value on him, you know, maybe besides 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:56.279 his bike, which was abandoned. You know, when 00:21:56.279 --> 00:21:58.720 I was researching this, I thought, you know, 00:21:58.720 --> 00:22:02.200 maybe was he hit by a car and someone panicked, 00:22:02.339 --> 00:22:06.079 but his bike didn't seem to have any damage to 00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:08.519 it. None that's reported. And there are even 00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:10.940 pictures of police, you know, collecting the 00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:13.740 bike as evidence. And, you know, there's no bent 00:22:13.740 --> 00:22:18.240 rims. It's fine. It's a perfectly working bike. 00:22:19.160 --> 00:22:23.019 I don't think that's happening. And then I also 00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:26.920 thought, could this have been an accident where, 00:22:27.079 --> 00:22:29.539 you know, we know this is a more rural area, 00:22:29.740 --> 00:22:33.920 maybe with somebody firing their gun off, or 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:35.859 we do know that deer hunting season was about 00:22:35.859 --> 00:22:39.700 to start. So, you know, could it have been, could 00:22:39.700 --> 00:22:42.359 he have been riding past woods and somebody just 00:22:42.359 --> 00:22:46.319 shot and accidentally hit him, but then with 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:50.119 him being shot three times? That's not an accident. 00:22:50.740 --> 00:22:53.380 That's somebody pulling the trigger three times 00:22:53.380 --> 00:22:59.440 on an 11 -year -old. So why? Why get him in a 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:03.259 car? Why drive him, you know, 15, 20 miles away 00:23:03.259 --> 00:23:08.259 to the woods and then shoot him? What? Like, 00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:11.380 you know, when you just break it down, that's 00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:17.640 simply of just what happened. What? Why? You 00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:20.279 know, there's no world where this 11 -year -old 00:23:20.279 --> 00:23:24.680 boy was, like, a threat to anybody, you know, 00:23:24.680 --> 00:23:29.039 where somebody would fear their life. You know, 00:23:29.099 --> 00:23:32.539 it's just every, like, time I try to wrap my 00:23:32.539 --> 00:23:35.660 mind around why somebody would do this to a little 00:23:35.660 --> 00:23:38.680 boy, I just seem to get, like, further and further 00:23:38.680 --> 00:23:41.220 away from what happened because it's just so 00:23:41.220 --> 00:23:45.069 absurd. Like, what happens? Clearly, I'm... I'm 00:23:45.069 --> 00:23:47.170 flabbergasted by this. I just really, I cannot 00:23:47.170 --> 00:23:50.690 get over the lack of motive and police truly 00:23:50.690 --> 00:23:54.069 don't seem to have a motive here. It leaves me 00:23:54.069 --> 00:23:57.410 with so many questions, just so many questions 00:23:57.410 --> 00:24:03.130 in his case. I do wonder if in, you know, the 00:24:03.130 --> 00:24:06.490 stacks and stacks of files that have been made 00:24:06.490 --> 00:24:08.009 on this case, which is something that's talked 00:24:08.009 --> 00:24:10.190 about again and again is, you know, how many 00:24:10.190 --> 00:24:14.789 filing cabinets full. All of those interviews, 00:24:15.150 --> 00:24:19.890 did police actually talk to the killer? And, 00:24:19.930 --> 00:24:22.329 you know, they just answered the questions correctly 00:24:22.329 --> 00:24:25.970 to not really raise suspicion and were able to 00:24:25.970 --> 00:24:29.509 just walk out of the police department without 00:24:29.509 --> 00:24:33.990 raising an eyebrow? I just have to think that, 00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:37.750 like, in this small of a community, that if you're 00:24:37.750 --> 00:24:40.630 casting that wide of a net and talking to, you 00:24:40.630 --> 00:24:43.319 know, So many people, I believe it's well over 00:24:43.319 --> 00:24:47.579 200 people they talked to. You would think that 00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:50.900 they would have crossed paths with the killer. 00:24:51.539 --> 00:24:56.720 So I wonder if you just go back and really get 00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:00.119 into those details and track everything you can. 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:02.160 Would there be some discrepancies that could 00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:06.099 maybe give us some clues as to who did this and 00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:10.220 why they would do this? If I could ask one question 00:25:10.220 --> 00:25:13.119 to police, so if I just got one, I think I would 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:15.940 just want to know what evidence they collected 00:25:15.940 --> 00:25:18.240 in this case. Like, what were they able to send 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:21.059 for testing? And I guess it's a two -parter question, 00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:25.140 and were they ever able to get DNA? I'd be really 00:25:25.140 --> 00:25:29.160 interested if we had any DNA in this case. You 00:25:29.160 --> 00:25:32.279 know, 1997, it's just like kind of at that beginning 00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:37.650 of DNA collection and using it to solve... murders 00:25:37.650 --> 00:25:42.309 and cases. But I just feel like there's opportunity 00:25:42.309 --> 00:25:48.609 for DNA. Specifically, my mind keeps going back 00:25:48.609 --> 00:25:50.910 to the backpack that was found at the crime scene. 00:25:51.109 --> 00:25:54.009 I have questions around that. And some of them 00:25:54.009 --> 00:25:56.349 are very mundane, like, you know, just was everything 00:25:56.349 --> 00:25:58.710 accounted for in the backpack? Like, was all 00:25:58.710 --> 00:26:01.049 of the homework there? You know, did they have 00:26:01.049 --> 00:26:03.960 Roman? take a look at the backpack and see if, 00:26:03.980 --> 00:26:06.299 you know, anything was missing. Um, you know, 00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:08.880 was there a trophy taken, you know, even something 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:11.819 as like that, like was anything missing, even 00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:14.579 if it wasn't something of note, like, you know, 00:26:14.579 --> 00:26:19.519 maybe a book or a homework or a pencil case, 00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:23.000 you know, just was anything taken that the killer 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:26.160 might have taken as a trophy, as a personal memento. 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:29.839 Um, but yeah, my mind keeps coming back to that 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:33.220 backpack and just I'm wondering, like, could 00:26:33.220 --> 00:26:35.539 that be a source of DNA? Like, was it handled 00:26:35.539 --> 00:26:37.900 by the killer? Did they throw it out of, you 00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:43.720 know, their car? Did they grab it, you know, 00:26:43.720 --> 00:26:46.680 to grab Levi? I don't know why the backpack comes 00:26:46.680 --> 00:26:49.460 so much into, you know, the front of my mind. 00:26:49.480 --> 00:26:51.779 I think it's because it's one of the few things 00:26:51.779 --> 00:26:54.759 we actually have in this case. I think that's 00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:58.960 why I kind of cling to it. And then another thing 00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:01.730 I would just want to know is, What kind of gun 00:27:01.730 --> 00:27:05.009 was used? And I'm really surprised they didn't 00:27:05.009 --> 00:27:08.930 at least say the caliber at the time. You know, 00:27:08.950 --> 00:27:11.869 in rural communities, people tend to have guns 00:27:11.869 --> 00:27:14.190 and they tend to have more than one gun. But, 00:27:14.210 --> 00:27:17.950 you know, listing out what kind of, you know, 00:27:17.950 --> 00:27:22.250 millimeter maybe was used, that could be information 00:27:22.250 --> 00:27:24.569 that someone might recognize. You know, if it's 00:27:24.569 --> 00:27:28.410 a more unique thing, like a .44 caliber, not 00:27:28.410 --> 00:27:30.799 a... Not every person has those, so maybe that 00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:33.660 limits it a little bit. Yeah, I just, I really 00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:37.480 wonder just what evidence we have, like what 00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:39.500 are the solid facts we have in this case, just 00:27:39.500 --> 00:27:41.440 because there's so many questions out there. 00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:45.160 For me, personally, I have so many questions 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:50.119 in this case. But I do hope that in all the evidence 00:27:50.119 --> 00:27:54.259 that was collected, that there was something 00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:56.960 that maybe, if not tested then, we can test now. 00:27:57.630 --> 00:28:00.789 This case does feel solvable. You know, it wasn't 00:28:00.789 --> 00:28:05.549 that long ago. It was in 1997. And it was such 00:28:05.549 --> 00:28:09.029 a unique crime to this area that I think a lot 00:28:09.029 --> 00:28:11.029 of people really remember it. And I think they 00:28:11.029 --> 00:28:14.029 remember details about their life at that time 00:28:14.029 --> 00:28:17.890 and their community at that time. So I really 00:28:17.890 --> 00:28:22.490 hope that we are able to get some answers in 00:28:22.490 --> 00:28:26.259 this case for... first and foremost for Levi's 00:28:26.259 --> 00:28:29.400 family, but also for this community that got 00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:34.400 rocked by a child's murder, a very senseless, 00:28:34.519 --> 00:28:38.160 all child murders are senseless. There's no reason 00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:40.339 a child's life should ever be taken. But like 00:28:40.339 --> 00:28:43.619 in Levi's case, it's like, this is completely 00:28:43.619 --> 00:28:47.700 senseless. We have no sense. You know, we have 00:28:47.700 --> 00:28:50.480 nothing to point to, to even be like, that is 00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:52.819 why they did. Like, it's just, it's mind boggling. 00:28:53.230 --> 00:28:57.349 To quote his mom again, mind -boggling. But yeah, 00:28:57.529 --> 00:29:00.029 I would really love to see justice in this case, 00:29:00.130 --> 00:29:03.549 and I would just love to have someone answer 00:29:03.549 --> 00:29:06.049 for what they did and to be held accountable. 00:29:06.769 --> 00:29:09.710 So again, if you know anything about the murder 00:29:09.710 --> 00:29:15.869 of Levi Frady in October of 1997, please call 00:29:15.869 --> 00:29:19.009 the Georgia Bureau of Investigation tip line 00:29:19.009 --> 00:29:26.710 at 1 -800 -587 - 8471. We will have pictures 00:29:26.710 --> 00:29:30.130 of Levi up on our Instagram at coldandmissing. 00:29:30.130 --> 00:29:33.869 And we'll also have those suspect, not suspect, 00:29:33.950 --> 00:29:36.029 but the witness sketches. I can't believe I didn't 00:29:36.029 --> 00:29:38.410 talk about this in the wrap -up portion. But 00:29:38.410 --> 00:29:41.250 yeah, the witness sketches. We will have that 00:29:41.250 --> 00:29:44.750 on our Instagram too. These two men who were 00:29:44.750 --> 00:29:49.569 seen in... very important area so near where 00:29:49.569 --> 00:29:53.289 the bike was abandoned and then where near where 00:29:53.289 --> 00:29:56.089 Levi's body was found these two men were seen 00:29:56.089 --> 00:30:00.210 we have some really great sketches of what these 00:30:00.210 --> 00:30:04.230 men would have looked like in 1997 so somebody 00:30:04.230 --> 00:30:06.690 should be able to recognize them one man recognized 00:30:06.690 --> 00:30:08.950 himself from the sketches and like came forward 00:30:08.950 --> 00:30:11.509 with whatever information he had and it wasn't 00:30:11.509 --> 00:30:15.059 a lot but Somebody should be able to recognize 00:30:15.059 --> 00:30:18.640 these people, family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances. 00:30:18.920 --> 00:30:22.599 Somebody knows them. So we will have that up 00:30:22.599 --> 00:30:26.559 on our Instagram too. And hopefully somebody 00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:29.000 recognized them and is able to call police and 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:31.279 they're able to connect. And we're able to get 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:35.039 some information in this case and get answers 00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:38.859 for Levi. But we will have pictures of Levi, 00:30:39.079 --> 00:30:43.670 those witness sketches. was also able to find 00:30:43.670 --> 00:30:45.549 a picture of his bike. So we'll put that up as 00:30:45.549 --> 00:30:48.849 well at our Instagram, at coldandmissing. If 00:30:48.849 --> 00:30:50.569 you're not following us, please do give us a 00:30:50.569 --> 00:30:53.569 follow. We always update if we ever have to miss 00:30:53.569 --> 00:30:55.589 a week. We always put it on our Instagram. So 00:30:55.589 --> 00:30:57.630 follow us there for updates in the case. And 00:30:57.630 --> 00:31:01.630 then we are always posting just other true crime 00:31:01.630 --> 00:31:03.390 things that are happening. So active missing 00:31:03.390 --> 00:31:06.630 person cases or cold cases that are getting solved, 00:31:06.910 --> 00:31:10.650 all that stuff. So it's a great resource if you 00:31:10.650 --> 00:31:13.400 like a little true crime. Also, as I mentioned 00:31:13.400 --> 00:31:16.119 at the top, rating and reviewing us does help 00:31:16.119 --> 00:31:20.579 others find this podcast. It lets people try 00:31:20.579 --> 00:31:22.819 out our podcast. A lot of people won't try a 00:31:22.819 --> 00:31:25.000 podcast that doesn't have a lot of ratings or 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:27.940 really negative ones. So thank you for leaving 00:31:27.940 --> 00:31:32.039 us five stars, positive reviews, ratings. It 00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:34.180 really does mean so much and it just gets these 00:31:34.180 --> 00:31:37.039 cases out there. And so many of you have mentioned 00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:39.299 in your reviews that these are lesser known cases. 00:31:40.220 --> 00:31:42.119 even more reason for them to get out there. So 00:31:42.119 --> 00:31:43.980 please, if you haven't, if you could rate and 00:31:43.980 --> 00:31:47.460 review us five stars, it really goes a tremendously 00:31:47.460 --> 00:31:51.460 long way in others finding this podcast. And 00:31:51.460 --> 00:31:54.279 that means others finding these cases. So please 00:31:54.279 --> 00:31:57.259 share, share, share, share and rate and review. 00:31:57.440 --> 00:32:00.720 Thank you. Thank you so much. And if you or someone 00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:02.819 you love is hard of hearing, we have official 00:32:02.819 --> 00:32:05.779 transcripts on our website, www .coldandmissing 00:32:05.779 --> 00:32:09.440 .com. But that is all I have for you this week. 00:32:10.029 --> 00:32:12.349 Thank you so much for listening to Cold and Missing. 00:32:12.849 --> 00:32:15.670 I'm your host, Ali. Have a good week and stay 00:32:15.670 --> 00:32:16.289 safe, y 'all.