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Our True Crime Podcast

227. Silenced Witness: Donna Willard

Our True Crime Podcast

Flanderson Media, LLC

Personal Journals, Society & Culture, True Crime

4.61.3K Ratings

🗓️ 30 August 2023

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Donna Willard, a single mother of three, lived in a tight-knit community of South Philly, doing her best to raise her three children. Her oldest was Todd, 12, with his baby sisters, 10-year-old Donna and 7-year-old Jessica, following. They were the light of her life, and she worked hard as a hairdresser to give them a good life. Donna was petite, weighing just over 80 pounds at 4’10, but she was big in her principles. She believed in working hard and doing the right thing. She was energetic and outgoing; love was the only thing missing in her life. In 1988, that would change for Donna when a man named Tommy Tyrrell, a pipefitter by trade, stepped into her hair salon for a haircut and ended up leaving with much more: her heart. After dating for a bit, Tommy popped the question, and the two were engaged. Life was perfect for Donna and Tommy, with a bright future ahead of them, but neither would know that was all about to change.Join Jen and Cam on this episode of Our True Crime Podcast entitled ‘Silenced Witness: Donna Willard.’Listener Discretion by the oh-so-talented @octoberpodVHS All Music by our EP Nico @theinkypawprint (formally known as @wetalkofdreams) Sources:https://chaddsfordlive.com/2014/11/25/court-upholds-death-sentence-in-willard-murder/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gettysburg-times-donna-willard/355976/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer/30388069/https://casetext.com/case/burke-v-us-14https://www.newspapers.com/article/standard-speaker-donna-willard/355958/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7830400/http://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/99d0956p.pdfhttps://corporate.discovery.com/discovery-newsroom/homicide-bureau-attorney-anna-sigga-nicolazzi-takes-viewers-inside-the-fight-for-justice-in-investigation-discoverys-new-series-true-conviction/https://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/14d0588p.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello, I'm Edward Oktober.

0:02.6

Over the years, I've narrated more ghost stories, horror shows, and creepypastas that I can count.

0:07.9

And yet, the crimes discussed on our true crime podcast manage to scare the s**t out of me.

0:14.5

This program is not suitable for children or the faint of heart.

0:18.4

If you are such a person, go ahead and switch off this podcast.

0:21.5

Listen to something else.

0:24.7

Are you still with us?

0:26.5

Well, we warned you.

0:30.5

Hi, Jan!

0:48.0

Hi, Jan!

0:49.0

Hey, Cam! How are you doing?

0:51.0

I'm pretty good. How are you?

0:52.0

I'm alright!

0:53.0

I'm alright. I'm happy.

0:54.5

It's the first full week that schools in session, and it's nice and quiet in the house.

0:59.0

See, free time.

1:00.0

Quite time, I mean.

1:01.0

Yep, it is. It is. But also, what's new is your new case, right?

1:05.0

You've got one for us today.

1:06.0

I do, I do, and I know I know I say this every week, Jan.

1:09.0

But you do?

1:10.0

What is wrong with people?

...

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