Welcome to Episode 2 of Don't Talk to Strangers, a long look inside a series of child murders

that took place in the Metro Detroit area between January, 1976, and March, 1977.

Because we are discussing the murder and sexual assault of children, this content may not be appropriate for all audiences.

Listener discretion is advised.

If you're over the age of 30 and grew up in the Detroit area, you're familiar with this case. You've likely

heard of the Oakland County child killer. You probably sat through stranger danger videos

offered in a darkened classroom via projector or VCR recording, or a uniformed officer

came to your school for an assembly. Hey kids, don't hitchhike. Don't go with

strangers. Nay, nay, stranger, stay away. Growing up in the Detroit area, particularly in

South Oakland County, along the Woodward Avenue corridor. This case was there, lingering,

lurking. These murders influenced your childhood, and they likely influence the way you parent

your own children today. There are unanswered questions, misinformation, and secrecy surrounding

the case. Nine murdered children in 15 months. Only three of

the cases are closed. The other six are open and unsolved. Tragic, mysterious, and frustrating.

Over the next several weeks, we will be looking at each murder, reviewing how the cases

intersect and which cases are resolved

while others are still open, still waiting, still sitting in a dusty file cabinet

hoping for an elusive DNA match or a confession.

In episode one, we covered what was known, at least briefly, as the babysitter murders,

the deaths of three teenage girls, 16-year-old Judy Farrow of Redford Township, 16-year-old Cynthia Cajou of Roseville, and 14-year-old Sheila Srock of Birmingham.

All three of these cases would eventually be solved, with two of

them leading to prosecution. Gary Pervinkler, alleged killer of Judy Farrow, died prior to being

...