REOPENED: The Heartland Killer
Cold Case Files
A&E / PodcastOne
4.1 • 8.2K Ratings
🗓️ 1 January 2026
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the 1980s, a suspected serial killer preyed on women in small towns located on the banks of the Mississippi River until the murders abruptly ceased and went unsolved. In 2006, 26 years later, a cold case detective and producer on the set of "Cold Case Files" unknowingly began to connect the dots that would crack the case while discussing the murder of Deborah Sheppard, a Southern Illinois University student whose death had remained a mystery since 1982.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode contains descriptions of violence and sexual assault. |
| 0:04.1 | Listener discretion is advised. |
| 0:11.6 | I had unanswered questions. |
| 0:13.7 | Even though I knew she was gone, I didn't believe it. |
| 0:16.4 | It was Easter weekend, and we were planning to go and see Deppra. |
| 0:20.7 | We were looking forward to that Easter |
| 0:23.1 | egg hunt just being together instead. It was 25 years before we knew what happened to Debra. |
| 0:31.5 | There are 120,000 unsolved murders in America. Each one is a cold case. Only one percent are ever solved. |
| 0:40.5 | This is one of those rare stories. |
| 0:49.1 | It's April 8, 1982 in Carbondale, Illinois, and the Easter holiday is approaching. |
| 0:55.0 | 23-year-old Deborah Shepard returns to her ground floor apartment at the Regal Apartments on Graham Street after classes at Southern Illinois University. |
| 1:04.0 | Her boyfriend, Randy, invites her to go see a movie, but it's already late, almost 11 p.m. and Deborah wants an early night because she has a busy |
| 1:12.8 | day tomorrow. The following morning, Deborah's family is going to be visiting from Chicago and we'll be |
| 1:18.7 | picking her up early. Easter is important to the Shepherd family. They like to get together each |
| 1:24.5 | year to celebrate with a large meal and an Easter egg hunt. |
| 1:28.3 | Deborah's sister Bridget is looking forward to seeing her. |
| 1:31.5 | They haven't been able to spend much time together since Deborah moved to Carbondale's study. |
| 1:35.5 | We couldn't wait to get Deborah. |
| 1:36.8 | We were really looking forward to celebrating, enjoying Easter, |
| 1:41.5 | knowing that her graduation was just a few weeks away. |
| 1:47.0 | Deborah turns down the movie invitation. |
| 1:49.4 | She tells Randy that she needs to clean up the apartment before her parents and sisters |
... |
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