Slim Turkey: The Unsolved Homicide of Richard Aderson

On February 5, 1997, Richard Aderson and an unknown motorist had a minor collision on eastbound I-84 in New York state. Soon after stopping to access the damage, Richard had been shot once in the chest and was left to die on the side of the road. Miraculously, he willed himself to crawl back to his vehicle and call 911, where he remained on the phone with an emergency operator for 9 minutes! Sadly, Richard died while being transported to the hospital but he left untold clues in that 911 call that continue to remain hidden from the public view 21 years later.   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “Burning Sunshine” by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0   “Thinking It Over” by Lee Rosevere is licensed under CC BY 4.0   And a special THANK YOU to The Mountain Goats, Ryan & Mike for allowing us to use: “We Do It Different On The West Coast” by The Mountain Goats from Goths

Richard Aderson may have been the first official road rage fatality in New York state after the term road rage seemed to gain popularity in the mid 1990s but he was far from being just a statistic. He was a husband, a father, a brother, a son, a friend, a teacher and so much more than just a number on a sheet of paper. In this episode, we discuss the enormous impact his death had on his family.   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY 4.0   “Forever Blue” by Fabrizio Paterlini & March Rosetta is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0   “Forever In Between (The Warrior's Misfortune)” by Amy Annelle is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0   “Prelude No. 14” by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under CC BY 4.0     Brewington, Brian. "Uncommon and Monumental Acts of Courage Happen in 12 Seconds or Less." Medium.com: 6 Dec 2017; Accessed 14 October 2018.   Legacy Staff "Coping With a Sudden Death." Legacy.com: Advice and Support, 2008; Accessed 14 October 2018.  

Was Richard Aderson's death a clear case of "road rage?" Or had some in the media rushed to judgment and mistakenly hyped Richard’s death as the first fatal "road rage" incident in New York? In this episode, we’ll dive into both sides of the argument and see what we learn.   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “Fluffing a Duck” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY 3.0   “Turkey Time” by Monk Turner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0   Buck, Stephanie. "Road rage was invented 30 years ago this summer in LA, when gunplay came to the freeways." Timeline.com: July 6, 2017; Accessed 8 November 2018.   Daryl F. (1987, August 23). Highway Hostility Must Be Stopped: L.A. Needs a Return to Civility, Drastic Moves on Congestion. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com   Fumento, Michael. "'Road Rage' Versus Reality." The Atlantic: Aug 1998; Accessed 8 November 2018.   Smith, Philip & King, Ryan. (2013). From Road Rage to Everyday Automotive Incivility: A Routine Activities Approach to Low‐Level Deviance. The Sociological Quarterly, 54(3), 476-500.   Safire, William. (1997, September 3). Road Rage in Paris. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com   Extra THANKS to William J. Harris for allowing us to use his poem, "A Guy in a Black SUV."   And a special THANK YOU to Pepper & Shaun for allowing us to use: “Drive” by Pepper from Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations  

The investigation into Richard Aderson's homicide has been kept under tight wraps by the New York State Police for the last two decades. Initially the police appeared to be transparent, seemingly sharing information with the media. But as time has passed, the New York State Police have become increasingly stingy in releasing any information related to Richard's investigation.   Why have the police withheld seemingly harmless information? And what are their motives? In this episode, we'll begin to tackle the question of WHY the police have monopolized that information.   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “Carry Me Again” by GeeNerve is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US   “Turkey Time” by Monk Turner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0    Extra THANKS to Lee Farber for composing the outro track, "Road Rage" for the episode   And a very special THANK YOU to Slightly Stoopid & Chris for allowing us to use: “Thinkin Bout Cops” by Slightly Stoopid from Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid

The New York State Police have not only withheld critical information but they may have also intentionally circulated misleading sketches of the suspect in Richard's Aderson's homicide to further divert the public from learning the true identity of the killer.   In this episode, we conclude our two part examination of the police investigation and determine whether the police have remained complicit in concealing the truth.   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “Liar Liar” by Vienna Ditto is licensed under CC BY 4.0   "Swan Dive" by Waxahatchee is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0    “Turkey Time” by Monk Turner is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0    "Hellidays (b/w Christmas in Hollis)" by The Impossebulls is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0   "The Ballad of Albany" by WPTR Radio   Conger, Cristen. "How Police Sketches Work." HowStuffWorks.com; Accessed 21 December 2018.

Cissy Taylor, the crime reporter for New Hampshire's Union Leader, covered the Richard Aderson homicide and subsequent investigation with great dedication and persistence. But why did this Manchester based reporter dedicate herself to writing eleven articles about a New York homicide over the course of a year and a half? That’s a lot of coverage by any measure. Did Cissy know something about Aderson’s killer that she did not or could not reveal?   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “Hey Go” by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0   "Hush Hush" by Rabbit Rabbit is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US   “Hush” by The Moto-Gators is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US    And a special THANK YOU to The Shins & Tiff for allowing us to use: “Caring is Creepy” by The Shins from Oh, Inverted World

Before February 2018, I had never listened to a podcast. I barely knew how to find one. Then I was introduced to Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna and their "Missing Maura Murray" podcast and I was hooked. Now it's January 2019 and I can't believe I'm actually talking to these guys on my show! In this episode, we touch on the Maura Murray case, their relationship with the New Hampshire State Police and our favorite cuss words. Oh... and I UNAPOLOGETICALLY gush about how they inspired me to create the "Slim Turkey" podcast.   And Mr. Slim Turkey is BACK in a preview of our next episode!   This podcast may contain language that some may find offensive.   Thanks to:   “Classic Horror 3” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0   "Bombsite" by Heavy Links is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0   And a special THANK YOU to Tim and Lance of "Missing Maura Murray"

On November 14, 1998 the Union Leader ran the headline, "Police Clear Derry Man in New York Slaying." Nearly two years after Richard Aderson's homicide, the prime suspect in his murder investigation had apparently been cleared by the New York State Police.   Yet after reporting on the Aderson homicide and investigation for 18 long months, Cissy Taylor's name was nowhere to be found in that article. The byline simply read Derek Rose. Who was Derek Rose and how did he come to write the newspaper's last chapter in the Richard Aderson investigation?   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “Purple Cave” by Jasmine Golan licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0   “Turkey Time” by Monk Turner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0    “Please Please Please (Let Me Get What I Want)” by ANT is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0    And a very special THANK YOU to Tribal Seeds & Rams for allowing us to use: “Run the Show” by Tribal Seeds

After 22 years without a viable suspect, has the Richard Aderson case gone cold? Unfortunately, it’s one of a growing number to have met with such a hopeless conclusion. Despite the advances in technology, such as omnipresent surveillance and DNA research, homicide clearance rates have steadily declined in the U.S. over the last half-century. In this first of a two-part series, we’ll examine the factors that have contributed to the increasing numbers of unsolved cases across the country.   And in the conclusion of our examination of cold cases, we’ll discuss how homicide investigators have begun to effectively employ TIME to their advantage in resolving cases that were long considered unsolvable.    This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “The Rising” by Aakash Gandhi licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0   “Run Until Your Wings Grow” by Late Night Feeler is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0    And a very special THANK YOU to Cold War Kids & Mike for allowing us to use: “Sermons" by Cold War Kids from Behave Yourself

With the passage of time comes changes in the dynamics in the way people think and in their personal relationships. They still may be reluctant to walk into a police station or to call the police BUT in some cases, "all it takes is for an investigator to take the initiative and knock on their door."   The main thrust of this episode is to communicate that a COLD CASE doesn't mean it's a DEAD CASE. There is ALWAYS hope and each one of us can do his or her part in helping to solve Richard's case.   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “My Wee Tribe” by Tickle licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0   “Turkey Time” by Monk Turner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0   Walton, R.H. (2017). Cold Case Homicides: Practical Investigative Techniques, Second Edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press   And a very special THANK YOU to Cake & Tommy for allowing us to use (one of my favorite songs): “Sheep Go To Heaven" by Cake from Prolonging the Magic     ... And to better understand the science behind the advances in DNA fingerprinting, check out this GREAT video, How does DNA fingerprinting work? produced by NakedScientists

In this episode, Mr. Slim Turkey and I respond to the many questions, comments and interesting theories we’ve received relating to Richard Aderson’s homicide and subsequent investigation.   Have a question? Call us at 917-410-5528 or email us at clues@slimturkey.com.   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “And the Rest Will Go On Forever” by Underground River under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

This week I'm joined by Dr. Shiloh Catanese, a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist from Los Angeles AND host of the L.A. Not So Confidential podcast. Dr. Shiloh and I discuss the Richard Aderson case in depth, in which she lends both her expertise and opinions on the case.   Was this truly a case of road rage? Could Richard have possibly known his killer? What role might guilt play in finally unmasking the killer? How can keeping secrets be harmful to one's  emotional and psychological health? Find out as we broach these questions and more.     Have a question? Call us at 917-410-5528 or email us at clues@slimturkey.com.   This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “Doctor's In” by Son Little under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0   and a very special thank you for the recording and editing to:   Justin Wilder Neese of Wilder Studios & Production

This week, Mr. Slim Turkey and I delve into the socio-psychological phenomenon known as "diffusion of responsibility." The phenomenon is often used to explain the BYSTANDER EFFECT, where in the midst of a large crowd, a person is less likely to receive aid and assistance in the event of an emergency.   The bystander effect may have even influenced motorists passing Richard Aderson and his killer on the side of I-84 on the evening of February 5, 1997.  With each driver relieved of the pressure to respond, thinking, "Someone else has probably called for help," they possibly drove by the homicide and never looked back.     This podcast may contain information that some may find disturbing.   Thanks to:   “Turkey Time” by Monk Turner is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0   "Our Hearts Have Been Misplaced In A Secret Location” by Uniform Motion under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US   And to:   Lickerman, Alex. "The Diffusion of Responsibility: Why assigning responsibility to groups doesn't work." Psychology Today, 14 June 2010, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-in-world/201006/the-diffusion-responsibility.