The Case of Paula Roberts: David Willoughby

Murder, She Told

Kristen Seavey

True Crime, Society & Culture, Documentary

4.9 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2022

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

1983. Augusta, Maine. Part 1 - In December of 1983, all of central Maine was pitching in efforts to help search for a young woman who was abducted during a robbery at a local ice cream shop—21-year-old UMF student, Paula Roberts. A month later, when the city editor of the Kennebec Journal showed up to work, the call of a lifetime was waiting for him: a man who had a first hand account of what happened to Paula... and who had killed her. The catch? He wanted to remain anonymous. But the KJ told him that in order to print the story, he needed to show them where Paula's body was located. The following day, the anonymous tipster was arrested: 26-year-old David Willoughby. But David insisted he was innocent. It was his step-brother, Phillip, who killed her. Not him. But there's a lot of circumstantial evidence against him... will the jury find him innocent? This is part one of the story of Paula Roberts, and one of the most sensational murder trials in Maine's history. Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com. Connect on Instagram @murdershetoldpodcast Support the show here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Murder She Told, true crime stories from Maine, New England, and Small Town, USA.
0:19.4	I'm Kristen Zeevy.
0:21.6	You can connect with me at MurderSheTold.com or on Instagram at MurderSheTold Podcast.
0:30.0	On a quiet country road nestled in the trees just eight miles north of the bustling
0:38.2	streets of Augusta, Maine, sat in ice cream shop known as Summer Haven.
0:43.6	In the early 80s, Summer Haven was a hole-in-the-wall spot that served ice cream year-round and offered
0:49.6	travelers a quick bite for the road with pizza and sandwiches.
0:53.4	The vinyl booths offered a place to stop and rest, and there were a few pinball and video
0:58.0	games to pass the time.
1:00.3	It was December 3rd, 1983, a Saturday night around 8 p.m., and things were fairly quiet,
1:07.4	but that's usually how it was in the winter.
1:09.8	A routine day in what was supposed to be an uneventful weekend.
1:14.2	Summer Haven kept a float with lotto tickets and cigarette sales during the winter when
1:18.5	ice cream sales dropped off in the colder months.
1:21.9	Twenty-one-year-old Paula Roberts, who was a senior at the University of Maine in Farmington,
1:27.0	was working alone while a sole customer, 19-year-old Dixon Smith, enjoyed a pizza.
1:32.8	His back was to the counter where Paula quietly watched the clock get closer to closing by
1:37.4	the minute.
1:38.5	She busied herself with cleaning chores as she waited for the next customer.
1:42.7	Suddenly, the bell on the front door rang, interrupting Lionel Richie's all night long.
1:49.4	Dixon hadn't even looked up when out of nowhere he was struck on the back of the head twice
1:54.3	with a blunt object, hard.
	...

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