The Tragic Murder of Kenneth Conrick

Murder, She Told

Kristen Seavey

True Crime, Society & Culture, Documentary

4.9 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2023

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

1979 - Gary, Indiana. It was October of 1979, and 8-year-old Kenneth “Kenny” Conrick had been dreaming for weeks about what Halloween costume he would pick for his favorite holiday. But somewhere on his walk home from school, Kenny vanished without a trace. Kenny was supposed to meet his babysitter, but he never he showed up. The last known sighting of him was alongside his friend, walking down their familiar road. How could such a seemingly innocent walk turn into a nightmare? The community sprung into action, working together in a collective effort to bring Kenny home safely. A few weeks later, the search for Kenny came to a tragic end; the little boy’s body was found behind the Salvation Army where he and his friends would play. He had been mutilated and strangled. Despite strong leads and multiple suspects, the investigation into Kenny's murder quickly stalled, leaving the case unsolved for decades. The search for answers raised various possibilities: was it a satanic cult? Someone known to Kenny? Or a predator waiting to strike? Then, in 2007, police interviewed a man named David Bowen, who was 16 at the time. Could Kenny’s killer have been right there in front of them all along? This is the story of the murder of Kenny Conrick. Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com Connect on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram @murdershetoldpodcast Support Murder, She Told here Sponsor: Hello Fresh - Go to hellofresh.com/shetold16 and use code shetold16 for 16 free meals plus free shipping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Kristen Ceevy, this is murder she told.
0:18.7	This episode contains descriptions of crimes against a child and sexual references that
0:24.0	are graphic in nature.
0:25.5	It also contains reference to suicide.
0:28.1	Please listen with care.
0:32.6	On the afternoon of October 15, 1979, the bell rang at Melton Elementary School in
0:39.0	Gary, Indiana and released a flock of children through its front doors.
0:44.2	Among them was Kenny Conrick, an adorable, skinny, eight-year-old third grader who stood
0:49.6	four feet four inches tall, with pale skin and fine light-brown hair.
0:55.2	He had on brown corduroy pants, a dark blue shirt, and a navy blue ski jacket with blue
1:00.8	and white sneakers.
1:02.6	The feeling of the autumn air energized him.
1:06.0	Fall was Kenny's favorite season.
1:08.1	He loved Halloween and had been thinking about what costume he would wear trick or treating.
1:13.5	Maybe Batman, or his favorite cartoon character, The Incredible Hulk.
1:18.4	The school was situated in a middle class suburban neighborhood south of Chicago, where parents
1:23.7	felt their kids were safe to walk home on their own.
1:27.5	Chatter and laughter faded as students dispersed in different directions.
1:32.2	Kenny was just getting settled into his new school, hoping for some stability in his life.
1:37.7	His mom and dad had gotten divorced three years prior in 1976.
1:42.5	Just a year later, his brother Kevin, who was a year younger than him, drowned in a freak
1:47.7	accident at Lake Eliza, a small nearby lake in Indiana.
	...

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