Page 31 of Dead Air
[Brief pause]
LEAH:We tracked down Carl Jensen, who worked security for the warehouse complex until its closure:
CARL JENSEN:Those old security floods pulled serious amperage. You'd need a dedicated setup to power one - generator, battery bank, something substantial. And they're heavy—maybe forty, fifty pounds. Not something you just happen to find working in an abandoned building.
LEAH:I asked Carl how long it would take to install such a system:
CARL JENSEN:With the right equipment and know-how, maybe an hour. You'd need mounting brackets, wiring, power source. And you'd need to test it to make sure the angle was right. This wasn't some spur-of-the-moment thing. Someone spent time setting this up.
[Music shifts]
LEAH:Six months after Detective Landry's death, the Rafferty investigation was quietly closed due to "insufficient evidence." Former colleagues tell us Detective Lawson fought the decision.
FORMER COLLEAGUE (voice disguised):Lawson went ballistic when they shelved the Rafferty case. Said evidence was being buried, witnesses intimidated. Filed formal complaints that went nowhere. She kept copies of everything, worked the case on her own time.
LEAH:Those complaints, which should be part of the departmental record, have also disappeared. When we filed public records requests for Detective Lawson's formal protests regarding the Rafferty case, we received this response:
[Reading from document]"No responsive documents exist matching your description. All case materials related to the referenced investigation have been properly archived according to department protocols."
LEAH:But multiple sources confirm these documents existed. Detective Lawson filed them. Captain Richardson acknowledged receiving them. Yet they've vanished from official records, just like the floodlight, just like Monica's notebook, just like crucial witness statements that didn't match the official narrative.
[Brief pause]
LEAH:The evidence points to careful planning and subsequent cover-up. Someone knew the meeting location in advance. Someone had access to the warehouse before the detectives arrived. Someone positioned that light to create momentary blindness at the critical moment.
LEAH:And after Detective Landry died, someone systematically removed evidence that might have revealed the truth about what she discovered in the Rafferty investigation.
[Music becomes more pointed]
LEAH:Cell tower data shows Detective Landry's phone in a different location when the meeting text was sent – near her apartment complex, not the police station where she was reportedly working late. Security footage from her building shows her car in the parking lot at 10:15 PM, but no sign of Detective Landry herself.
LEAH:We asked digital forensics expert Dr. Martin Chen about potential explanations:
DR. CHEN:Without examining the device, I can only speculate, but there are several possibilities. The phone could have been used by someone else. Text messages can be scheduled to send at specific times. Or, with the right expertise, texts can be spoofed to appear from a specific number.
LEAH:The Savannah Police Department's technical division should have analyzed these inconsistencies. Yet the case file shows no digital forensics performed on Detective Landry's phone beyond basic call and text logs.
LEAH:When we asked former Captain Thomas Richardson about this oversight, his office provided this statement:
[Reading from statement]"All investigative avenues were pursued according to department protocols. Technical limitations at the time prevented certain forensic analyses now considered standard."
LEAH:That explanation doesn't hold up. The FBI's Digital Evidence Laboratory offered assistance three days after the murder, standard procedure for officer killings. According to internal memos, that offer was declined by the Savannah PD.
[Brief pause]
LEAH:The floodlight. The suspicious text message. The missing files and notebook. The lack of digital forensics. Each detail points to the same troubling conclusion: Monica Landry's death wasn't random. It was planned, coordinated, and executed with insider knowledge.
LEAH:Someone knew exactly where she would be standing. Someone arranged for a momentary blindness that provided the perfect opportunity for a clean shot. Someone ensured the subsequent investigation would overlook crucial evidence.
[Music softens]
LEAH:In our next episode, we'll explore another piece of this puzzle – Detective Ray Hutchinson from Narcotics, who claims to have been romantically involved with Monica Landryin the months before her death. His story adds yet another layer to this already complex case.
[Music builds]
LEAH:This is Dead Air. The truth doesn't stay buried forever.
[Theme music plays out]
