WEBVTT
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The views and opinions expressed in Cold and
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Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All
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parties mentioned are considered innocent until
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proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing
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also contains adult themes and languages. Listener
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discretion is advised. I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin
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-Sulkowski. And I'm your co -host, Eli Sulkowski.
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And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover
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cold cases and missing person cases. Hello, everyone,
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and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your
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host, Ali. And I'm your co -host, Eli. Welcome
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back, everyone. And Eli is back for what is actually
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an anniversary episode. So when this episode
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drops, it will be officially our three -year
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anniversary of doing this podcast. That's right.
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Three full years of episodes that we have that
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you can go back and listen to. But for today,
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we are on episode 139. And we are on a cold case
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this week. All right, let's get into it. So just
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as a quick content warning at the top, this case
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does involve a young person. Today, we are talking
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about the cold case of Rhonda Sue Coleman, and
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this takes place May 17, 1990, in Hazlehurst,
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Georgia. But first, a little bit about Rhonda.
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Rhonda is just 18 years old in 1990. She was
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just weeks, really days, away from graduation.
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Rhonda was described as a warm, friendly, and
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deeply loved by her friends and family. She was
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born January 18, 1972. Rhonda was the only child
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of Milton and Gail Coleman. She was really close
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with her parents, often choosing to spend time
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with them over her friends. Her and her parents
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loved to go to the beach together, where Rhonda
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loved to water ski. I think Rhonda's obituary
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is actually... a really great description of
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her and was written by those who love her. So
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I would like to read it for a moment. Ms. Coleman
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was a native and lifelong resident of Jeff Davis
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County. She was a senior at Jeff Davis High School
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and a member of the Future Farmers of America
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and the Epilogue Y Club. She was employed as
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a cashier at Piggly Wiggly and was a member of
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the Tabernacle Baptist Church of Hazlehurst.
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She was a tomboy at heart who loved motorcycles,
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climbing trees, and playing in the mud. She made
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one attempt at entering a beauty pageant at age
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nine, but decided that pageant life wasn't for
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her, as it interfered with her playtime schedule.
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And now, a timeline of events. Thursday, May
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17th, 1990. Rhonda didn't usually go out on school
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nights, but this Thursday was an exception. Her
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classmates were gathering to decorate banners
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for their upcoming graduation. It was a tradition
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at her high school for the seniors to decorate
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banners for the ceremony. That evening, before
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she left, Rhonda sat down with her father, Milton,
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and the two talked about her college plans. Milton
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would later recall, quote, Rhonda's curfew was
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10 .30 p .m., and she had never given her parents
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a reason to worry. She was never late, or if
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she knew she was going to be a few minutes late,
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she would always call her parents and let them
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know. She left home either around 7 or 8 p .m.
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Both times have been reported over the years.
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Rhonda left in her 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier and
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met a classmate she had been on a few dates with.
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They left her car parked at a convenience store
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and then the two of them rode together to the
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party, which was hosted at the house of her friend,
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Mickey. The decorating party went as planned
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and around 10 p .m., Rhonda said goodbye to her
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friends and left so she'd have time to stop and
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pick up her car and make it home in time for
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curfew. She and the classmate that she had driven
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to the party with had left together again. We
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do know that Rhonda makes it to her car. She
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was last seen at the Sewanee Swift convenience
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store. However, 10 .30 rolls around and Rhonda
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had not returned home. Almost immediately, her
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parents begin to worry. This was not like her
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to be late, and if she was going to be late,
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she would have called. It doesn't take her dad
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long to decide to go out and look for her. Years
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later, her mother will recall getting a terrible
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feeling that something awful had happened. Around
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11 p .m., one of Rhonda's friends, Layla, who
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had missed the decorating party because of work,
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was driving home when she spotted Rhonda's car
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just 20 feet off of Bell Telephone Road. Layla
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pulled off of the road to see if Rhonda needed
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help, but Rhonda wasn't with her car. The engine
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was still running. The headlights were on. The
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driver's door was wide open. Her purse was on
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the floorboard of the passenger seat and the
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parking brake was engaged. Footprints led from
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her car to the tire tracks of another vehicle.
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Investigators would later say, The physical evidence
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indicates Rhonda stopped and got out to speak
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with someone, possibly someone she knew. A vehicle
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had pulled in and stopped behind her, but there
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was no signs of a struggle. Layla got back in
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her car and went to her boyfriend's house to
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call police. Layla and her boyfriend returned
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to the car to wait for police. By the time the
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first officer rolls up to the scene, Rhonda's
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father also finds her car. Nothing was missing
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from Rhonda's car. Her purse was still in the
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floorboard, and nothing of value had been taken.
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Her friend Layla said, quote, It looked like
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somebody she knew or thought she knew motioned
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for her to stop. I believe she got out of her
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car expecting to get right back in. Immediately,
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police start searching for Rhonda and treat this
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like a kidnapping. Police will later learn that
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a raccoon hunter in the area will report seeing
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a dark -colored shortbed pickup truck driving
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past him as he was exiting the woods. He heard
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a woman's voice crying out for help from the
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car. At the time, the hunter thought it was just
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high schoolers messing around, but when he heard
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about Rhonda going missing just two miles from
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where he was, he reports it to police. Police
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do believe that the woman crying from the car
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was Rhonda. The next day, Friday, May 18, 1990,
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the small community of Hazlehurst was shaken
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by Rhonda's disappearance. Friends described
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Rhonda as cautious. She knew not to stop for
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strangers, and she had driven that road countless
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times before. Her classmates plastered the town
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with flyers and joined the search for her, many
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skipping school to do so. Students rode ATVs
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or brought tough trucks through the area. Her
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best friend, Tricia Thompson, said, quote, It's
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not a dangerous road, but it's dark. She knew
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not to stop. She wouldn't have stopped for anything.
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Rhonda's school supports the students skipping
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class to look for her. The principal says, Her
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classmates are especially shaken. The small senior
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class of 140 students had already lost another
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senior just a few months before that. The young
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man had died in a car accident. The search for
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Rhonda continues all through Friday and then
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all day the next day Saturday. However, on Sunday,
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May 20, 1990, so Rhonda has been missing since
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Thursday. There have been no signs of her found
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outside of her vehicle. Police believe that she
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was abducted by someone who was able to flag
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her down and get her to pull over onto the side
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of the road. That afternoon, a man was walking
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through the woods in nearby Montgomery County.
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It's said that he was appraising Tinder, but
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some reports say he was walking his dog. He was
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about 16 miles from where Rhonda's car had been
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found when he makes a horrifying discovery. She's
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laying face down on a logging road. She was still
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fully clothed in jeans, a pink shirt, and tennis
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shoes. Pine straw had been raked around her,
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and her back had been partially burned in what
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police believe was an attempt to destroy evidence.
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Authorities are later able to determine that
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the burning was done after her death. Outside
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of the fire, there was no obvious signs of trauma
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to her body, so police are not able to immediately
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determine a cause of death. Ultimately, her autopsy,
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which will take place over the next few days,
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will reveal that she was not sexually assaulted.
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For a cause of death, police have withheld this
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information. On the GBI website today, it says
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that her cause of death was an undetermined homicide.
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However, her parents have said years later that
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they unofficially have heard that the cause of
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death was strangulation. So ultimately, we have
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never had a confirmation of Rhonda's cause of
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death. Police believe that Rhonda was murdered
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elsewhere and dumped in this area. It didn't
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seem like anybody had really tried to hide her
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body beyond trying to burn it. She wasn't placed
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in any of the nearby brushy areas. She was out
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in the open. It's reported that her body was
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found either right on or very close to the logging
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road. Police do believe that her body had been
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there since Thursday night, likely placed there
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not long after she was abducted from her vehicle.
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With the discovery of Rhonda's body, the Georgia
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Bureau of Investigation, or the GBI, get involved
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in the case. The next day on Monday, May 21st,
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Rhonda's friends and classmates are devastated
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by the murder of Rhonda. Counselors are brought
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in to talk to students and to be made available
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to anyone who needs to process what they're going
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through. A $2 ,000 reward is offered for information
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leading to the arrest nearly immediately. Police
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do say that they were able to rule out the boy
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that she had caught a ride with to and from the
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party. So the person that she had left her car
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at the convenience store with to go to the party.
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The next day, Tuesday, May 22nd. The community
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is on edge and police believe that they are justified
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in that fear. The sheriff at the time says, quote,
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a pretty sweet little girl like that who'd never
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done anything to anybody and some maniac. I don't
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know what in the hell else you'd call them, to
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do a thing like that to her? Sure, these kids
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ought to be scared. We've questioned a lot of
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people, but no one has been arrested. Police
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say that at this point they have interviewed
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all of her friends, everyone that was at the
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decorating party that night. Police still have
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no leads in the case. They do say that they had
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a prime suspect, but he was eliminated after
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he passed the polygraph. On Wednesday, May 23rd,
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Just six days after she went missing, Rhonda
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is laid to rest. Her service was standing room
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only, with many people standing in the vestibule
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of the church. Her funeral started with a reading
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from Rhonda's English journal. Rhonda had been
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dealing with the death of her classmate, and
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she wrote, quote, Sometimes I just don't understand
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God. While Rhonda's funeral service is going
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on, police are in the parking lot in the nearby
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blocks searching for a short bed pickup truck.
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This is based off of the hunter's tip who saw
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the truck and heard the woman screaming. Police
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believe that her killer would likely be at the
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funeral since they believe that Rhonda knew her
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killer. By June 1st, so it's been just over two
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weeks since Rhonda was murdered, and police say
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that they have no idea what the motive in this
00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:46.559
case would be. She wasn't robbed and she wasn't
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assaulted. Police have no leads. The next day,
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June 2nd, the day that Rhonda should have graduated
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high school, instead her parents are given her
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diploma at a very solemn graduation ceremony.
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Over the years, Rhonda's parents work very hard
00:13:06.519 --> 00:13:09.059
to keep her story in the media and on the top
00:13:09.059 --> 00:13:12.779
of police's priorities. The case is mentioned
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again and again over the years, especially around
00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:18.200
the anniversary. However, no new information
00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:23.360
is really revealed for years. Police say time
00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.480
and time again that they remain committed to
00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:27.759
solving Rhonda's case and that it's a top priority
00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:31.240
for them. But still, no new leads, no suspects,
00:13:31.500 --> 00:13:36.480
no arrests. In June of 1996, so it would have
00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:40.080
been six years since Rhonda was murdered, Police
00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:42.120
do say that they have a suspect in the case,
00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:44.460
but they do not have enough evidence to bring
00:13:44.460 --> 00:13:47.539
him to trial. They never name the suspect or
00:13:47.539 --> 00:13:50.460
give any clues or hints as to who he might have
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been in Rhonda's life. The community of Hazlehurst
00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:59.419
stays committed to Rhonda's case, too. Over the
00:13:59.419 --> 00:14:02.259
years, people continue to donate to her reward
00:14:02.259 --> 00:14:04.840
fund. Year after year, month after month, people
00:14:04.840 --> 00:14:09.000
continue to donate. By June of 1998, so eight
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years since the murder, the reward fund had grown
00:14:12.179 --> 00:14:16.460
to over $36 ,000 and people were still donating
00:14:16.460 --> 00:14:22.139
in 1998. The sheriff then, Jimmy Boatwright,
00:14:22.259 --> 00:14:24.860
says, quote, The community is very interested
00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:27.879
in this case. We won't stop until we make an
00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:30.759
arrest. Even when I go to other places and say
00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:33.360
where I'm from, people say, that's the place
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where the girl was abducted. Whatever happened
00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:40.360
in that case? It's around this time in 1998 that
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police make a plea to the public for information.
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They ask that people not assume that they know
00:14:46.059 --> 00:14:48.860
something. They would rather get the same tips
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several times than not get a piece of information
00:14:51.379 --> 00:14:55.980
at all. Police say, quote, This case is a complicated
00:14:55.980 --> 00:14:59.000
jigsaw puzzle with a couple of crucial pieces
00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:03.379
missing. We're hoping the person or persons responsible
00:15:03.379 --> 00:15:06.179
have told somebody about it and that the guilt
00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:09.580
or greed will help those with knowledge to overcome
00:15:09.580 --> 00:15:13.159
whatever loyalty they feel to the killer. Police
00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:15.000
say that they still don't have a motive in this
00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.840
case. Quote, if we knew the motive, we'd have
00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:23.169
somebody in jail. Years pass. Decades pass, but
00:15:23.169 --> 00:15:27.190
in June of 2021, so it's been 31 years since
00:15:27.190 --> 00:15:30.750
Rhonda's murder. And over the years, her parents
00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:33.830
had gotten frustrated and hired a private investigator
00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:37.690
to look into Rhonda's case as well. Her parents
00:15:37.690 --> 00:15:41.389
say that the private investigator made some eye
00:15:41.389 --> 00:15:44.549
-opening revelations, but the family declines
00:15:44.549 --> 00:15:47.080
to share the information with the media. wanting
00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:49.299
to protect the integrity of the investigation
00:15:49.299 --> 00:15:54.080
at the police's request. A podcast called Fox
00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:57.419
Hunter, which, full disclosure, I have not had
00:15:57.419 --> 00:16:00.399
the chance to listen to at all, so I can't vouch
00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:04.240
for any of it, but they cover Rhonda's case in
00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:08.919
a multi -episode podcast season. The listeners
00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:12.340
of that podcast are able to raise... $100 ,000
00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:15.120
for the reward fund, and it generates a lot of
00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:20.639
new interest and energy into Rhonda's case. In
00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:24.460
2024, Rhonda's parents had helped draft the Baker
00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:28.019
-Coleman Act, which allows families to ask for
00:16:28.019 --> 00:16:31.100
police to reinvestigate cases after so much time
00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:34.840
has passed. With the passing of this act, it
00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:37.759
also helps establish a cold case unit within
00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:42.070
the GBI. With this effort, It results in an arrest
00:16:42.070 --> 00:16:44.789
for Baker, the other cold case that the bill
00:16:44.789 --> 00:16:48.029
was named after, but Rhonda's case still remains
00:16:48.029 --> 00:16:53.230
cold. As of 2024 and 2025 when we record this,
00:16:53.509 --> 00:16:56.110
no suspects have ever been named in the case
00:16:56.110 --> 00:17:00.129
and no motive has ever been revealed. So with
00:17:00.129 --> 00:17:02.669
that, if you know anything about the murder of
00:17:02.669 --> 00:17:06.980
Rhonda Sue Coleman in May of 1990, please contact
00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:14.599
the GBI Region 4 Douglas office at 912 -389 -4103.
00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:19.700
So that is the cold case of Rhonda Sue Coleman.
00:17:21.220 --> 00:17:24.519
I always love hearing about the backstories of
00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:27.240
the people that you bring to us at Cold and Missing,
00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:31.019
and I loved hearing about Rhonda. I loved that
00:17:31.019 --> 00:17:36.640
she was a tomboy and seemed to marched to the
00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:40.039
beat of her own drum and I don't know she hearing
00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:42.839
about her reminded me of you actually um I could
00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:47.380
imagine her pretty instantly and um this is a
00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:49.559
this is a heartbreaking case and it seems solvable
00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:54.099
to me yeah from hearing everyone talk about Rhonda
00:17:54.099 --> 00:17:58.380
and how much they loved her and how they knew
00:17:58.380 --> 00:18:00.700
Rhonda it definitely seems like she's somebody
00:18:00.700 --> 00:18:02.990
that Like, I personally would have got along
00:18:02.990 --> 00:18:05.990
great with. Like, we would have been pals if
00:18:05.990 --> 00:18:07.769
we were in high school at the same time. Like,
00:18:07.789 --> 00:18:10.390
definitely sounds like an incredible person.
00:18:10.430 --> 00:18:15.089
And yeah, I agree that this case is extraordinarily
00:18:15.089 --> 00:18:18.509
tragic. The timing of it is so horrible in a
00:18:18.509 --> 00:18:22.170
young person's life. And I do think this is solvable.
00:18:22.289 --> 00:18:25.529
I think there is a lot there. Yeah, just jumping
00:18:25.529 --> 00:18:29.480
right into the timeline. You know, we know she
00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:33.339
was attending a party that evening and was with
00:18:33.339 --> 00:18:37.380
friends. But from the timeline that you shared
00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:43.980
with us, to me, it seems like the crime was maybe
00:18:43.980 --> 00:18:49.720
committed in the 10 p .m. to 10 .30 p .m. window.
00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:55.180
And again, with what you shared, it seems narrowed
00:18:55.180 --> 00:18:57.769
down to me, and I just wanted to... Get your
00:18:57.769 --> 00:19:01.529
thoughts on that. Yeah. So the timeline, particularly
00:19:01.529 --> 00:19:05.329
around when she disappears, when she's abducted,
00:19:05.410 --> 00:19:09.069
it's a little different depending on the source.
00:19:09.250 --> 00:19:12.549
So some people report that it's around 10 that
00:19:12.549 --> 00:19:14.930
she's last seen. Some people say it's around
00:19:14.930 --> 00:19:18.190
1030 that she's last seen. But that likely would
00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:21.609
have made her late for her curfew if that's what
00:19:21.609 --> 00:19:25.599
she was aiming to do. For the timeline, you know,
00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:28.579
I said around 10 she left the party, which is
00:19:28.579 --> 00:19:31.980
about what we know. But we're not quite sure,
00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:36.240
at least I'm not quite sure, exactly the last
00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:39.259
timing or the last time that Rhonda was seen.
00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:42.900
But definitely between 10 and 11, it seems very
00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:47.839
firm in that. The next notable event in the timeline,
00:19:48.099 --> 00:19:50.200
at least for me as I was taking in the information,
00:19:50.380 --> 00:19:53.069
is when... Her friend spots her car, and that's
00:19:53.069 --> 00:19:56.549
around 11, correct? Yeah, that does seem to be.
00:19:56.650 --> 00:19:59.829
Again, depending on sources, it puts it between
00:19:59.829 --> 00:20:04.430
10 .30 and 11, so right in there, though. Now,
00:20:04.430 --> 00:20:07.970
I know her dad makes his way to where her car
00:20:07.970 --> 00:20:12.069
is shortly after, and police are called. My question
00:20:12.069 --> 00:20:15.029
for you is, was the crime scene being compromised
00:20:15.029 --> 00:20:18.579
with the arrival of all of these people? Or were
00:20:18.579 --> 00:20:22.960
they being encouraged to not walk around, not
00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:26.619
check the car? I'm curious as to what that looked
00:20:26.619 --> 00:20:30.599
like. It's a great question. So as far as the
00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:33.819
scene where the car was found, it's pretty unclear
00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:38.359
what measures were put into place that evening
00:20:38.359 --> 00:20:43.309
to protect it. as a crime scene um we know pretty
00:20:43.309 --> 00:20:46.190
immediately police do treat it seriously as a
00:20:46.190 --> 00:20:49.430
kidnapping so i'd like to think that there was
00:20:49.430 --> 00:20:52.369
some care around the car and trying to preserve
00:20:52.369 --> 00:20:56.750
evidence but i do think that her friend you know
00:20:56.750 --> 00:20:58.630
at one point went into the car when she first
00:20:58.630 --> 00:21:01.730
finds it um i read a report that she actually
00:21:01.730 --> 00:21:06.000
turned the engine off on the car so um Her friend
00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:08.019
might have been in the car. I'm sure her dad
00:21:08.019 --> 00:21:10.240
looked over the car to see if anything was missing,
00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:13.680
if he noticed anything about it. But I don't
00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:18.059
have firm details on that. And that makes sense
00:21:18.059 --> 00:21:20.019
to me that, you know, friends and family would
00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:22.519
immediately interact with their loved one's car,
00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:26.500
assuming. You know that something had happened,
00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:29.059
but not the worst. I don't think your mind would
00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:31.940
immediately jump to that. Even if it did, you're
00:21:31.940 --> 00:21:34.039
not saying it out loud. I think you're looking
00:21:34.039 --> 00:21:37.460
for clues, so that makes sense to me. This is
00:21:37.460 --> 00:21:40.619
kind of jumping backwards in the timeline, but
00:21:40.619 --> 00:21:45.279
the fox hunter said that he spotted and or heard
00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:50.640
the car around 1030. Yeah, so I think he was
00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:53.259
actually a raccoon hunter. Fox Hunter is the
00:21:53.259 --> 00:22:00.279
podcast name that covers it, yeah. But by all
00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:02.980
reports that I can tell, I couldn't find the
00:22:02.980 --> 00:22:05.339
exact time, but it does seem like he came out
00:22:05.339 --> 00:22:08.720
of the woods maybe a little after 10 .30, and
00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:11.920
that's around the time that he saw the car. It
00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:14.059
seemed like he was leaving after hunting for
00:22:14.059 --> 00:22:16.700
the evening and going to his car when he saw
00:22:16.700 --> 00:22:19.339
that truck speed past him and heard the woman
00:22:19.339 --> 00:22:22.759
crying from the car. After this point in the
00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:26.299
timeline, it seems like her story really takes
00:22:26.299 --> 00:22:32.079
a turn at the community's helm. The turnout of
00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:34.460
this community is so incredible, and we've heard
00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:37.160
it with other stories as well, but the commitment
00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:41.579
to their loved one is really beautiful here.
00:22:41.740 --> 00:22:45.140
The way that they showed up for their community
00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:48.839
member for Rhonda was very beautiful. Oh, yeah.
00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:51.259
Like all the students were skipping school to
00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:54.339
help search for her, to pass out flyers. The
00:22:54.339 --> 00:22:57.559
town was papered in her picture less than 24
00:22:57.559 --> 00:23:00.660
hours after she went missing. So everyone was
00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:04.299
very committed to Rhonda and to bringing her
00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:09.579
home. Moving into the discovery of Rhonda's body,
00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:16.359
I, of course, what a horrifying and deeply sad
00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:19.509
discovery. But the questions that come with that
00:23:19.509 --> 00:23:23.549
are, was she moved? Especially the state that
00:23:23.549 --> 00:23:28.109
her body was in. I want to know what you think
00:23:28.109 --> 00:23:30.250
about that. But of course, I also agree with
00:23:30.250 --> 00:23:33.029
law enforcement that even though she was discovered
00:23:33.029 --> 00:23:38.670
there, it seems placed. Maybe even, to me, specifically
00:23:38.670 --> 00:23:43.059
placed so she would be found. Yeah, I agree with
00:23:43.059 --> 00:23:45.640
police that it's it seems like she was murdered
00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:49.180
elsewhere and then her body was dumped there.
00:23:50.539 --> 00:23:54.680
Yeah, it does seem like it was almost placed
00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:57.720
with the intent of being found. All the police
00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:00.420
at the time said that it was like in an open
00:24:00.420 --> 00:24:03.980
area, like there was no hiding or attempt to
00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:07.420
hide the body at all. And there were reports
00:24:07.420 --> 00:24:10.660
that this area was like while it was out of the
00:24:10.660 --> 00:24:12.920
way, you know, was on a logging road. It was
00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:16.079
kind of known as like a lover's lane area. So
00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:19.339
it seemed likely that somebody was going to be
00:24:19.339 --> 00:24:24.079
in that area soon. So, yeah, I think that maybe
00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:28.160
there was, you know, intent for her to be found.
00:24:29.099 --> 00:24:33.400
Yeah, it certainly seems like it to me that they
00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:38.039
were. Kind of betting on the fact that someone
00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:40.720
would come around that area. And that's what
00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:44.980
it seems like to me. Moving into, you know, who
00:24:44.980 --> 00:24:48.599
possibly committed this crime. I'm very interested
00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.460
in when you spoke about law enforcement having
00:24:52.460 --> 00:24:55.200
a prime suspect and he was let go or they were
00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:58.799
let go after a polygraph test. You know, we know.
00:25:00.649 --> 00:25:02.890
About polygraph tests and how they hold up in
00:25:02.890 --> 00:25:05.029
court and what they mean now and what they can
00:25:05.029 --> 00:25:10.390
mean. I am I'm very curious as to who that person
00:25:10.390 --> 00:25:13.130
was and I wanted to know your opinion on that
00:25:13.130 --> 00:25:15.990
because a polygraph sometimes doesn't mean anything.
00:25:16.349 --> 00:25:19.869
I agree. I thought the same thing. I'd wondered
00:25:19.869 --> 00:25:22.529
if police had gone back to this person knowing
00:25:22.529 --> 00:25:24.670
what we know today about polygraph tests and
00:25:24.670 --> 00:25:30.079
how they're not always reliable. Yeah, I. I have
00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:33.220
to think with, you know, the police's commitment
00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:36.579
to this case over the years, like it has been
00:25:36.579 --> 00:25:39.440
actively worked and, you know, it got a lot more
00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:41.720
energy over the last few years with podcasts
00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.599
covering it. So I have to think that police would
00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:49.519
go back to that quote unquote prime suspect and.
00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:53.359
truly eliminate them if it was anything else.
00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:55.380
Or maybe they had more at the time beyond the
00:25:55.380 --> 00:25:58.380
polygraph. They also had an alibi or whatever
00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:00.779
else they needed to rule that person out. But
00:26:00.779 --> 00:26:03.720
yeah, I'm definitely curious about who that person
00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:07.920
is and what's been done as of 2025 to rule him
00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:12.440
out beyond the polygraph. I do think that it
00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:15.880
is incredible of the family that they hired their
00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:19.369
own PI, even though It's really sad that people
00:26:19.369 --> 00:26:21.930
have to do that often in these cases. I still
00:26:21.930 --> 00:26:25.630
think it's incredible of the family to do that
00:26:25.630 --> 00:26:28.289
on their loved one's behalf and to have answers
00:26:28.289 --> 00:26:30.950
and maybe some justice. And it sounds like to
00:26:30.950 --> 00:26:33.490
me that some stuff was uncovered that they know
00:26:33.490 --> 00:26:36.970
about. And I know law enforcement did encourage
00:26:36.970 --> 00:26:39.849
them to keep their hand close to their chest,
00:26:39.970 --> 00:26:43.009
and they have done that. But it seems like they
00:26:43.009 --> 00:26:49.039
know something. I hope that whatever they know
00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:53.380
has brought them even a fraction of peace or
00:26:53.380 --> 00:26:56.740
justice so that their lives are a little bit
00:26:56.740 --> 00:26:58.980
easier after having gone through what they've
00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:02.480
gone through. But I'm hopeful that more information
00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:17.579
will come out. The accuracy or anything like
00:27:17.579 --> 00:27:20.339
that, I don't listen to podcasts about cases
00:27:20.339 --> 00:27:23.180
we're covering because I want to try to just
00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:26.420
stick to the facts and the reporting. That being
00:27:26.420 --> 00:27:30.339
said, I do know that that podcast generated a
00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:32.960
lot of interest in this case. And I think they
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.519
even were able to interview and uncover connections
00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:40.460
that maybe before weren't known to police, perhaps.
00:27:40.539 --> 00:27:45.670
So I hope with this, you know. energy in Rhonda's
00:27:45.670 --> 00:27:49.730
case and the new information and the commitment
00:27:49.730 --> 00:27:53.170
that the community has made to Rhonda that we'll
00:27:53.170 --> 00:27:56.849
find closure. And, you know, on her parents,
00:27:57.069 --> 00:28:00.849
they are incredible humans and, you know, they
00:28:00.849 --> 00:28:04.299
speak so beautifully about Rhonda and... you
00:28:04.299 --> 00:28:06.539
know, carrying the weight of her death all these
00:28:06.539 --> 00:28:09.500
years. But it really sounds like for her parents
00:28:09.500 --> 00:28:12.319
that seeing some justice in this case, having
00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:15.619
somebody answer for what was done to their daughter
00:28:15.619 --> 00:28:19.160
would mean a lot to them. And, you know, there's
00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:22.039
never really moving on from this, but it would
00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:25.099
give them, you know, that piece of the puzzle
00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:29.289
is done, like that door can be closed. for justice
00:28:29.289 --> 00:28:31.849
at least. So I really hope that happens for this
00:28:31.849 --> 00:28:34.410
family because all of our families are incredibly
00:28:34.410 --> 00:28:37.069
deserving, but I really want it for Rhonda's
00:28:37.069 --> 00:28:40.710
family in this case. Again, if you know anything
00:28:40.710 --> 00:28:44.049
about the murder of Rhonda Sue Coleman in May
00:28:44.049 --> 00:28:48.150
of 1990, please call the GBI Region 4 Douglas
00:28:48.150 --> 00:28:55.660
office at 912 -389 -4103. And we will have pictures
00:28:55.660 --> 00:28:59.099
of Rhonda on our Instagram at coldandmissing.
00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:01.740
We're also going to have a picture that police
00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:04.640
have provided over the years of her car the night
00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:07.720
it was found. So you'll be able to see the state
00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:09.539
that it was found in with the door open and everything.
00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:13.220
So that will be on our Instagram at coldandmissing.
00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:16.559
And if you're not following us, I do encourage
00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.339
you to follow us. We've had a lot of new followers,
00:29:18.420 --> 00:29:20.500
so welcome everyone who's found us recently.
00:29:21.339 --> 00:29:23.799
But if we ever need to take a week off, if something
00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:25.940
comes up, if life happens, we'll always post
00:29:25.940 --> 00:29:28.720
it there. And we're also posting active missing
00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:31.240
person cases in our stories, just trying to spread
00:29:31.240 --> 00:29:33.599
the word. So follow us there. Great resource
00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:35.859
for keeping up with the pod and the true crime
00:29:35.859 --> 00:29:39.150
community. Also, if you could take a minute today
00:29:39.150 --> 00:29:41.650
to rate and review us in your podcast player,
00:29:41.809 --> 00:29:44.230
it helps so much for others to find this podcast,
00:29:44.430 --> 00:29:47.609
to listen to the podcast, and to get these stories
00:29:47.609 --> 00:29:50.509
out there. Five stars goes a long way in the
00:29:50.509 --> 00:29:53.250
algorithm machine. So please, five stars if you
00:29:53.250 --> 00:29:56.140
can today. That would be... gorgeous thank you
00:29:56.140 --> 00:29:57.859
so much to all those who've done it we got some
00:29:57.859 --> 00:30:00.160
really gorgeous reviews this past week so thank
00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:02.420
you to everyone who's taken the time to do that
00:30:02.420 --> 00:30:05.759
truly i appreciate it so much and it makes my
00:30:05.759 --> 00:30:07.759
day like you would not even believe i'm over
00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:10.849
the moon when we get a new review And if you
00:30:10.849 --> 00:30:12.750
or your loved one is hard of hearing, we will
00:30:12.750 --> 00:30:15.950
have transcripts of this episode, official transcripts
00:30:15.950 --> 00:30:18.289
that have correct spelling and all that on our
00:30:18.289 --> 00:30:20.390
website at Cold and Missing. So if you're looking
00:30:20.390 --> 00:30:22.849
for that resource, it's there along with all
00:30:22.849 --> 00:30:25.630
of our other episodes from the last three years
00:30:25.630 --> 00:30:28.109
because we've been a podcast for three full years.
00:30:28.309 --> 00:30:32.269
So all the episodes can be found there. But that
00:30:32.269 --> 00:30:35.190
is all I have for you this week. Thank you so
00:30:35.190 --> 00:30:37.190
much for listening to Cold and Missing. I'm your
00:30:37.190 --> 00:30:40.430
host, Ali. And I'm your co -host, Eli. Have
00:30:40.430 --> 00:30:43.109
a good week and stay safe, y 'all. Stay safe,
00:30:43.150 --> 00:30:43.349
y 'all.
00:00:08.269 --> 00:00:10.789
The views and opinions expressed in Cold and
00:00:10.789 --> 00:00:13.710
Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All
00:00:13.710 --> 00:00:16.129
parties mentioned are considered innocent until
00:00:16.129 --> 00:00:18.949
proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing
00:00:18.949 --> 00:00:22.410
also contains adult themes and languages. Listener
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discretion is advised. I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin
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-Sulkowski. And I'm your co -host, Eli Sulkowski.
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And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover
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cold cases and missing person cases. Hello, everyone,
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and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your
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host, Ali. And I'm your co -host, Eli. Welcome
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back, everyone. And Eli is back for what is actually
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an anniversary episode. So when this episode
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drops, it will be officially our three -year
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anniversary of doing this podcast. That's right.
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Three full years of episodes that we have that
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you can go back and listen to. But for today,
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we are on episode 139. And we are on a cold case
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this week. All right, let's get into it. So just
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as a quick content warning at the top, this case
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does involve a young person. Today, we are talking
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about the cold case of Rhonda Sue Coleman, and
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this takes place May 17, 1990, in Hazlehurst,
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Georgia. But first, a little bit about Rhonda.
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Rhonda is just 18 years old in 1990. She was
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just weeks, really days, away from graduation.
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Rhonda was described as a warm, friendly, and
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deeply loved by her friends and family. She was
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born January 18, 1972. Rhonda was the only child
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of Milton and Gail Coleman. She was really close
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with her parents, often choosing to spend time
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with them over her friends. Her and her parents
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loved to go to the beach together, where Rhonda
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loved to water ski. I think Rhonda's obituary
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is actually... a really great description of
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her and was written by those who love her. So
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I would like to read it for a moment. Ms. Coleman
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was a native and lifelong resident of Jeff Davis
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County. She was a senior at Jeff Davis High School
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and a member of the Future Farmers of America
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and the Epilogue Y Club. She was employed as
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a cashier at Piggly Wiggly and was a member of
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the Tabernacle Baptist Church of Hazlehurst.
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She was a tomboy at heart who loved motorcycles,
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climbing trees, and playing in the mud. She made
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one attempt at entering a beauty pageant at age
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nine, but decided that pageant life wasn't for
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her, as it interfered with her playtime schedule.
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And now, a timeline of events. Thursday, May
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17th, 1990. Rhonda didn't usually go out on school
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nights, but this Thursday was an exception. Her
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classmates were gathering to decorate banners
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for their upcoming graduation. It was a tradition
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at her high school for the seniors to decorate
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banners for the ceremony. That evening, before
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she left, Rhonda sat down with her father, Milton,
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and the two talked about her college plans. Milton
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would later recall, quote, Rhonda's curfew was
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10 .30 p .m., and she had never given her parents
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a reason to worry. She was never late, or if
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she knew she was going to be a few minutes late,
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she would always call her parents and let them
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know. She left home either around 7 or 8 p .m.
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Both times have been reported over the years.
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Rhonda left in her 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier and
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met a classmate she had been on a few dates with.
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They left her car parked at a convenience store
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and then the two of them rode together to the
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party, which was hosted at the house of her friend,
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Mickey. The decorating party went as planned
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and around 10 p .m., Rhonda said goodbye to her
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friends and left so she'd have time to stop and
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pick up her car and make it home in time for
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curfew. She and the classmate that she had driven
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to the party with had left together again. We
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do know that Rhonda makes it to her car. She
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was last seen at the Sewanee Swift convenience
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store. However, 10 .30 rolls around and Rhonda
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had not returned home. Almost immediately, her
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parents begin to worry. This was not like her
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to be late, and if she was going to be late,
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she would have called. It doesn't take her dad
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long to decide to go out and look for her. Years
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later, her mother will recall getting a terrible
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feeling that something awful had happened. Around
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11 p .m., one of Rhonda's friends, Layla, who
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had missed the decorating party because of work,
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was driving home when she spotted Rhonda's car
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just 20 feet off of Bell Telephone Road. Layla
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pulled off of the road to see if Rhonda needed
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help, but Rhonda wasn't with her car. The engine
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was still running. The headlights were on. The
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driver's door was wide open. Her purse was on
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the floorboard of the passenger seat and the
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parking brake was engaged. Footprints led from
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her car to the tire tracks of another vehicle.
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Investigators would later say, The physical evidence
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indicates Rhonda stopped and got out to speak
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with someone, possibly someone she knew. A vehicle
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had pulled in and stopped behind her, but there
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was no signs of a struggle. Layla got back in
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her car and went to her boyfriend's house to
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call police. Layla and her boyfriend returned
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to the car to wait for police. By the time the
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first officer rolls up to the scene, Rhonda's
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father also finds her car. Nothing was missing
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from Rhonda's car. Her purse was still in the
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floorboard, and nothing of value had been taken.
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Her friend Layla said, quote, It looked like
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somebody she knew or thought she knew motioned
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for her to stop. I believe she got out of her
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car expecting to get right back in. Immediately,
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police start searching for Rhonda and treat this
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like a kidnapping. Police will later learn that
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a raccoon hunter in the area will report seeing
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a dark -colored shortbed pickup truck driving
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past him as he was exiting the woods. He heard
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a woman's voice crying out for help from the
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car. At the time, the hunter thought it was just
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high schoolers messing around, but when he heard
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about Rhonda going missing just two miles from
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where he was, he reports it to police. Police
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do believe that the woman crying from the car
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was Rhonda. The next day, Friday, May 18, 1990,
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the small community of Hazlehurst was shaken
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by Rhonda's disappearance. Friends described
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Rhonda as cautious. She knew not to stop for
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strangers, and she had driven that road countless
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times before. Her classmates plastered the town
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with flyers and joined the search for her, many
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skipping school to do so. Students rode ATVs
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or brought tough trucks through the area. Her
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best friend, Tricia Thompson, said, quote, It's
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not a dangerous road, but it's dark. She knew
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not to stop. She wouldn't have stopped for anything.
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Rhonda's school supports the students skipping
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class to look for her. The principal says, Her
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classmates are especially shaken. The small senior
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class of 140 students had already lost another
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senior just a few months before that. The young
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man had died in a car accident. The search for
00:08:07.370 --> 00:08:09.949
Rhonda continues all through Friday and then
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all day the next day Saturday. However, on Sunday,
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May 20, 1990, so Rhonda has been missing since
00:08:17.089 --> 00:08:20.490
Thursday. There have been no signs of her found
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outside of her vehicle. Police believe that she
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was abducted by someone who was able to flag
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her down and get her to pull over onto the side
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of the road. That afternoon, a man was walking
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through the woods in nearby Montgomery County.
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It's said that he was appraising Tinder, but
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some reports say he was walking his dog. He was
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about 16 miles from where Rhonda's car had been
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found when he makes a horrifying discovery. She's
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laying face down on a logging road. She was still
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fully clothed in jeans, a pink shirt, and tennis
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shoes. Pine straw had been raked around her,
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and her back had been partially burned in what
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police believe was an attempt to destroy evidence.
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Authorities are later able to determine that
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the burning was done after her death. Outside
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of the fire, there was no obvious signs of trauma
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to her body, so police are not able to immediately
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determine a cause of death. Ultimately, her autopsy,
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which will take place over the next few days,
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will reveal that she was not sexually assaulted.
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For a cause of death, police have withheld this
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information. On the GBI website today, it says
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that her cause of death was an undetermined homicide.
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However, her parents have said years later that
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they unofficially have heard that the cause of
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death was strangulation. So ultimately, we have
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never had a confirmation of Rhonda's cause of
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death. Police believe that Rhonda was murdered
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elsewhere and dumped in this area. It didn't
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seem like anybody had really tried to hide her
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body beyond trying to burn it. She wasn't placed
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in any of the nearby brushy areas. She was out
00:10:06.940 --> 00:10:09.799
in the open. It's reported that her body was
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found either right on or very close to the logging
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road. Police do believe that her body had been
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there since Thursday night, likely placed there
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not long after she was abducted from her vehicle.
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With the discovery of Rhonda's body, the Georgia
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Bureau of Investigation, or the GBI, get involved
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in the case. The next day on Monday, May 21st,
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Rhonda's friends and classmates are devastated
00:10:37.269 --> 00:10:40.929
by the murder of Rhonda. Counselors are brought
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in to talk to students and to be made available
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to anyone who needs to process what they're going
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through. A $2 ,000 reward is offered for information
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leading to the arrest nearly immediately. Police
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do say that they were able to rule out the boy
00:10:57.289 --> 00:10:59.570
that she had caught a ride with to and from the
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party. So the person that she had left her car
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at the convenience store with to go to the party.
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The next day, Tuesday, May 22nd. The community
00:11:10.629 --> 00:11:13.610
is on edge and police believe that they are justified
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in that fear. The sheriff at the time says, quote,
00:11:16.990 --> 00:11:19.610
a pretty sweet little girl like that who'd never
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done anything to anybody and some maniac. I don't
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know what in the hell else you'd call them, to
00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:28.019
do a thing like that to her? Sure, these kids
00:11:28.019 --> 00:11:30.320
ought to be scared. We've questioned a lot of
00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:34.220
people, but no one has been arrested. Police
00:11:34.220 --> 00:11:35.980
say that at this point they have interviewed
00:11:35.980 --> 00:11:38.080
all of her friends, everyone that was at the
00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:41.000
decorating party that night. Police still have
00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:44.460
no leads in the case. They do say that they had
00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:47.440
a prime suspect, but he was eliminated after
00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:51.419
he passed the polygraph. On Wednesday, May 23rd,
00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:55.039
Just six days after she went missing, Rhonda
00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:58.500
is laid to rest. Her service was standing room
00:11:58.500 --> 00:12:01.460
only, with many people standing in the vestibule
00:12:01.460 --> 00:12:04.799
of the church. Her funeral started with a reading
00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:08.480
from Rhonda's English journal. Rhonda had been
00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:10.559
dealing with the death of her classmate, and
00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:13.120
she wrote, quote, Sometimes I just don't understand
00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:17.200
God. While Rhonda's funeral service is going
00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:19.919
on, police are in the parking lot in the nearby
00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:22.840
blocks searching for a short bed pickup truck.
00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:26.000
This is based off of the hunter's tip who saw
00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:28.980
the truck and heard the woman screaming. Police
00:12:28.980 --> 00:12:31.379
believe that her killer would likely be at the
00:12:31.379 --> 00:12:33.679
funeral since they believe that Rhonda knew her
00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:39.039
killer. By June 1st, so it's been just over two
00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:41.360
weeks since Rhonda was murdered, and police say
00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:43.620
that they have no idea what the motive in this
00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:46.559
case would be. She wasn't robbed and she wasn't
00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:51.039
assaulted. Police have no leads. The next day,
00:12:51.059 --> 00:12:54.480
June 2nd, the day that Rhonda should have graduated
00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:58.019
high school, instead her parents are given her
00:12:58.019 --> 00:13:00.840
diploma at a very solemn graduation ceremony.
00:13:03.059 --> 00:13:06.519
Over the years, Rhonda's parents work very hard
00:13:06.519 --> 00:13:09.059
to keep her story in the media and on the top
00:13:09.059 --> 00:13:12.779
of police's priorities. The case is mentioned
00:13:12.779 --> 00:13:15.200
again and again over the years, especially around
00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:18.200
the anniversary. However, no new information
00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:23.360
is really revealed for years. Police say time
00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.480
and time again that they remain committed to
00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:27.759
solving Rhonda's case and that it's a top priority
00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:31.240
for them. But still, no new leads, no suspects,
00:13:31.500 --> 00:13:36.480
no arrests. In June of 1996, so it would have
00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:40.080
been six years since Rhonda was murdered, Police
00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:42.120
do say that they have a suspect in the case,
00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:44.460
but they do not have enough evidence to bring
00:13:44.460 --> 00:13:47.539
him to trial. They never name the suspect or
00:13:47.539 --> 00:13:50.460
give any clues or hints as to who he might have
00:13:50.460 --> 00:13:55.740
been in Rhonda's life. The community of Hazlehurst
00:13:55.740 --> 00:13:59.419
stays committed to Rhonda's case, too. Over the
00:13:59.419 --> 00:14:02.259
years, people continue to donate to her reward
00:14:02.259 --> 00:14:04.840
fund. Year after year, month after month, people
00:14:04.840 --> 00:14:09.000
continue to donate. By June of 1998, so eight
00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:12.179
years since the murder, the reward fund had grown
00:14:12.179 --> 00:14:16.460
to over $36 ,000 and people were still donating
00:14:16.460 --> 00:14:22.139
in 1998. The sheriff then, Jimmy Boatwright,
00:14:22.259 --> 00:14:24.860
says, quote, The community is very interested
00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:27.879
in this case. We won't stop until we make an
00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:30.759
arrest. Even when I go to other places and say
00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:33.360
where I'm from, people say, that's the place
00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.559
where the girl was abducted. Whatever happened
00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:40.360
in that case? It's around this time in 1998 that
00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:42.539
police make a plea to the public for information.
00:14:43.419 --> 00:14:46.059
They ask that people not assume that they know
00:14:46.059 --> 00:14:48.860
something. They would rather get the same tips
00:14:48.860 --> 00:14:51.379
several times than not get a piece of information
00:14:51.379 --> 00:14:55.980
at all. Police say, quote, This case is a complicated
00:14:55.980 --> 00:14:59.000
jigsaw puzzle with a couple of crucial pieces
00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:03.379
missing. We're hoping the person or persons responsible
00:15:03.379 --> 00:15:06.179
have told somebody about it and that the guilt
00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:09.580
or greed will help those with knowledge to overcome
00:15:09.580 --> 00:15:13.159
whatever loyalty they feel to the killer. Police
00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:15.000
say that they still don't have a motive in this
00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.840
case. Quote, if we knew the motive, we'd have
00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:23.169
somebody in jail. Years pass. Decades pass, but
00:15:23.169 --> 00:15:27.190
in June of 2021, so it's been 31 years since
00:15:27.190 --> 00:15:30.750
Rhonda's murder. And over the years, her parents
00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:33.830
had gotten frustrated and hired a private investigator
00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:37.690
to look into Rhonda's case as well. Her parents
00:15:37.690 --> 00:15:41.389
say that the private investigator made some eye
00:15:41.389 --> 00:15:44.549
-opening revelations, but the family declines
00:15:44.549 --> 00:15:47.080
to share the information with the media. wanting
00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:49.299
to protect the integrity of the investigation
00:15:49.299 --> 00:15:54.080
at the police's request. A podcast called Fox
00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:57.419
Hunter, which, full disclosure, I have not had
00:15:57.419 --> 00:16:00.399
the chance to listen to at all, so I can't vouch
00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:04.240
for any of it, but they cover Rhonda's case in
00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:08.919
a multi -episode podcast season. The listeners
00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:12.340
of that podcast are able to raise... $100 ,000
00:16:12.340 --> 00:16:15.120
for the reward fund, and it generates a lot of
00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:20.639
new interest and energy into Rhonda's case. In
00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:24.460
2024, Rhonda's parents had helped draft the Baker
00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:28.019
-Coleman Act, which allows families to ask for
00:16:28.019 --> 00:16:31.100
police to reinvestigate cases after so much time
00:16:31.100 --> 00:16:34.840
has passed. With the passing of this act, it
00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:37.759
also helps establish a cold case unit within
00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:42.070
the GBI. With this effort, It results in an arrest
00:16:42.070 --> 00:16:44.789
for Baker, the other cold case that the bill
00:16:44.789 --> 00:16:48.029
was named after, but Rhonda's case still remains
00:16:48.029 --> 00:16:53.230
cold. As of 2024 and 2025 when we record this,
00:16:53.509 --> 00:16:56.110
no suspects have ever been named in the case
00:16:56.110 --> 00:17:00.129
and no motive has ever been revealed. So with
00:17:00.129 --> 00:17:02.669
that, if you know anything about the murder of
00:17:02.669 --> 00:17:06.980
Rhonda Sue Coleman in May of 1990, please contact
00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:14.599
the GBI Region 4 Douglas office at 912 -389 -4103.
00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:19.700
So that is the cold case of Rhonda Sue Coleman.
00:17:21.220 --> 00:17:24.519
I always love hearing about the backstories of
00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:27.240
the people that you bring to us at Cold and Missing,
00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:31.019
and I loved hearing about Rhonda. I loved that
00:17:31.019 --> 00:17:36.640
she was a tomboy and seemed to marched to the
00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:40.039
beat of her own drum and I don't know she hearing
00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:42.839
about her reminded me of you actually um I could
00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:47.380
imagine her pretty instantly and um this is a
00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:49.559
this is a heartbreaking case and it seems solvable
00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:54.099
to me yeah from hearing everyone talk about Rhonda
00:17:54.099 --> 00:17:58.380
and how much they loved her and how they knew
00:17:58.380 --> 00:18:00.700
Rhonda it definitely seems like she's somebody
00:18:00.700 --> 00:18:02.990
that Like, I personally would have got along
00:18:02.990 --> 00:18:05.990
great with. Like, we would have been pals if
00:18:05.990 --> 00:18:07.769
we were in high school at the same time. Like,
00:18:07.789 --> 00:18:10.390
definitely sounds like an incredible person.
00:18:10.430 --> 00:18:15.089
And yeah, I agree that this case is extraordinarily
00:18:15.089 --> 00:18:18.509
tragic. The timing of it is so horrible in a
00:18:18.509 --> 00:18:22.170
young person's life. And I do think this is solvable.
00:18:22.289 --> 00:18:25.529
I think there is a lot there. Yeah, just jumping
00:18:25.529 --> 00:18:29.480
right into the timeline. You know, we know she
00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:33.339
was attending a party that evening and was with
00:18:33.339 --> 00:18:37.380
friends. But from the timeline that you shared
00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:43.980
with us, to me, it seems like the crime was maybe
00:18:43.980 --> 00:18:49.720
committed in the 10 p .m. to 10 .30 p .m. window.
00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:55.180
And again, with what you shared, it seems narrowed
00:18:55.180 --> 00:18:57.769
down to me, and I just wanted to... Get your
00:18:57.769 --> 00:19:01.529
thoughts on that. Yeah. So the timeline, particularly
00:19:01.529 --> 00:19:05.329
around when she disappears, when she's abducted,
00:19:05.410 --> 00:19:09.069
it's a little different depending on the source.
00:19:09.250 --> 00:19:12.549
So some people report that it's around 10 that
00:19:12.549 --> 00:19:14.930
she's last seen. Some people say it's around
00:19:14.930 --> 00:19:18.190
1030 that she's last seen. But that likely would
00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:21.609
have made her late for her curfew if that's what
00:19:21.609 --> 00:19:25.599
she was aiming to do. For the timeline, you know,
00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:28.579
I said around 10 she left the party, which is
00:19:28.579 --> 00:19:31.980
about what we know. But we're not quite sure,
00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:36.240
at least I'm not quite sure, exactly the last
00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:39.259
timing or the last time that Rhonda was seen.
00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:42.900
But definitely between 10 and 11, it seems very
00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:47.839
firm in that. The next notable event in the timeline,
00:19:48.099 --> 00:19:50.200
at least for me as I was taking in the information,
00:19:50.380 --> 00:19:53.069
is when... Her friend spots her car, and that's
00:19:53.069 --> 00:19:56.549
around 11, correct? Yeah, that does seem to be.
00:19:56.650 --> 00:19:59.829
Again, depending on sources, it puts it between
00:19:59.829 --> 00:20:04.430
10 .30 and 11, so right in there, though. Now,
00:20:04.430 --> 00:20:07.970
I know her dad makes his way to where her car
00:20:07.970 --> 00:20:12.069
is shortly after, and police are called. My question
00:20:12.069 --> 00:20:15.029
for you is, was the crime scene being compromised
00:20:15.029 --> 00:20:18.579
with the arrival of all of these people? Or were
00:20:18.579 --> 00:20:22.960
they being encouraged to not walk around, not
00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:26.619
check the car? I'm curious as to what that looked
00:20:26.619 --> 00:20:30.599
like. It's a great question. So as far as the
00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:33.819
scene where the car was found, it's pretty unclear
00:20:33.819 --> 00:20:38.359
what measures were put into place that evening
00:20:38.359 --> 00:20:43.309
to protect it. as a crime scene um we know pretty
00:20:43.309 --> 00:20:46.190
immediately police do treat it seriously as a
00:20:46.190 --> 00:20:49.430
kidnapping so i'd like to think that there was
00:20:49.430 --> 00:20:52.369
some care around the car and trying to preserve
00:20:52.369 --> 00:20:56.750
evidence but i do think that her friend you know
00:20:56.750 --> 00:20:58.630
at one point went into the car when she first
00:20:58.630 --> 00:21:01.730
finds it um i read a report that she actually
00:21:01.730 --> 00:21:06.000
turned the engine off on the car so um Her friend
00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:08.019
might have been in the car. I'm sure her dad
00:21:08.019 --> 00:21:10.240
looked over the car to see if anything was missing,
00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:13.680
if he noticed anything about it. But I don't
00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:18.059
have firm details on that. And that makes sense
00:21:18.059 --> 00:21:20.019
to me that, you know, friends and family would
00:21:20.019 --> 00:21:22.519
immediately interact with their loved one's car,
00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:26.500
assuming. You know that something had happened,
00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:29.059
but not the worst. I don't think your mind would
00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:31.940
immediately jump to that. Even if it did, you're
00:21:31.940 --> 00:21:34.039
not saying it out loud. I think you're looking
00:21:34.039 --> 00:21:37.460
for clues, so that makes sense to me. This is
00:21:37.460 --> 00:21:40.619
kind of jumping backwards in the timeline, but
00:21:40.619 --> 00:21:45.279
the fox hunter said that he spotted and or heard
00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:50.640
the car around 1030. Yeah, so I think he was
00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:53.259
actually a raccoon hunter. Fox Hunter is the
00:21:53.259 --> 00:22:00.279
podcast name that covers it, yeah. But by all
00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:02.980
reports that I can tell, I couldn't find the
00:22:02.980 --> 00:22:05.339
exact time, but it does seem like he came out
00:22:05.339 --> 00:22:08.720
of the woods maybe a little after 10 .30, and
00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:11.920
that's around the time that he saw the car. It
00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:14.059
seemed like he was leaving after hunting for
00:22:14.059 --> 00:22:16.700
the evening and going to his car when he saw
00:22:16.700 --> 00:22:19.339
that truck speed past him and heard the woman
00:22:19.339 --> 00:22:22.759
crying from the car. After this point in the
00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:26.299
timeline, it seems like her story really takes
00:22:26.299 --> 00:22:32.079
a turn at the community's helm. The turnout of
00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:34.460
this community is so incredible, and we've heard
00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:37.160
it with other stories as well, but the commitment
00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:41.579
to their loved one is really beautiful here.
00:22:41.740 --> 00:22:45.140
The way that they showed up for their community
00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:48.839
member for Rhonda was very beautiful. Oh, yeah.
00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:51.259
Like all the students were skipping school to
00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:54.339
help search for her, to pass out flyers. The
00:22:54.339 --> 00:22:57.559
town was papered in her picture less than 24
00:22:57.559 --> 00:23:00.660
hours after she went missing. So everyone was
00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:04.299
very committed to Rhonda and to bringing her
00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:09.579
home. Moving into the discovery of Rhonda's body,
00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:16.359
I, of course, what a horrifying and deeply sad
00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:19.509
discovery. But the questions that come with that
00:23:19.509 --> 00:23:23.549
are, was she moved? Especially the state that
00:23:23.549 --> 00:23:28.109
her body was in. I want to know what you think
00:23:28.109 --> 00:23:30.250
about that. But of course, I also agree with
00:23:30.250 --> 00:23:33.029
law enforcement that even though she was discovered
00:23:33.029 --> 00:23:38.670
there, it seems placed. Maybe even, to me, specifically
00:23:38.670 --> 00:23:43.059
placed so she would be found. Yeah, I agree with
00:23:43.059 --> 00:23:45.640
police that it's it seems like she was murdered
00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:49.180
elsewhere and then her body was dumped there.
00:23:50.539 --> 00:23:54.680
Yeah, it does seem like it was almost placed
00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:57.720
with the intent of being found. All the police
00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:00.420
at the time said that it was like in an open
00:24:00.420 --> 00:24:03.980
area, like there was no hiding or attempt to
00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:07.420
hide the body at all. And there were reports
00:24:07.420 --> 00:24:10.660
that this area was like while it was out of the
00:24:10.660 --> 00:24:12.920
way, you know, was on a logging road. It was
00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:16.079
kind of known as like a lover's lane area. So
00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:19.339
it seemed likely that somebody was going to be
00:24:19.339 --> 00:24:24.079
in that area soon. So, yeah, I think that maybe
00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:28.160
there was, you know, intent for her to be found.
00:24:29.099 --> 00:24:33.400
Yeah, it certainly seems like it to me that they
00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:38.039
were. Kind of betting on the fact that someone
00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:40.720
would come around that area. And that's what
00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:44.980
it seems like to me. Moving into, you know, who
00:24:44.980 --> 00:24:48.599
possibly committed this crime. I'm very interested
00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:52.460
in when you spoke about law enforcement having
00:24:52.460 --> 00:24:55.200
a prime suspect and he was let go or they were
00:24:55.200 --> 00:24:58.799
let go after a polygraph test. You know, we know.
00:25:00.649 --> 00:25:02.890
About polygraph tests and how they hold up in
00:25:02.890 --> 00:25:05.029
court and what they mean now and what they can
00:25:05.029 --> 00:25:10.390
mean. I am I'm very curious as to who that person
00:25:10.390 --> 00:25:13.130
was and I wanted to know your opinion on that
00:25:13.130 --> 00:25:15.990
because a polygraph sometimes doesn't mean anything.
00:25:16.349 --> 00:25:19.869
I agree. I thought the same thing. I'd wondered
00:25:19.869 --> 00:25:22.529
if police had gone back to this person knowing
00:25:22.529 --> 00:25:24.670
what we know today about polygraph tests and
00:25:24.670 --> 00:25:30.079
how they're not always reliable. Yeah, I. I have
00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:33.220
to think with, you know, the police's commitment
00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:36.579
to this case over the years, like it has been
00:25:36.579 --> 00:25:39.440
actively worked and, you know, it got a lot more
00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:41.720
energy over the last few years with podcasts
00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.599
covering it. So I have to think that police would
00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:49.519
go back to that quote unquote prime suspect and.
00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:53.359
truly eliminate them if it was anything else.
00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:55.380
Or maybe they had more at the time beyond the
00:25:55.380 --> 00:25:58.380
polygraph. They also had an alibi or whatever
00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:00.779
else they needed to rule that person out. But
00:26:00.779 --> 00:26:03.720
yeah, I'm definitely curious about who that person
00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:07.920
is and what's been done as of 2025 to rule him
00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:12.440
out beyond the polygraph. I do think that it
00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:15.880
is incredible of the family that they hired their
00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:19.369
own PI, even though It's really sad that people
00:26:19.369 --> 00:26:21.930
have to do that often in these cases. I still
00:26:21.930 --> 00:26:25.630
think it's incredible of the family to do that
00:26:25.630 --> 00:26:28.289
on their loved one's behalf and to have answers
00:26:28.289 --> 00:26:30.950
and maybe some justice. And it sounds like to
00:26:30.950 --> 00:26:33.490
me that some stuff was uncovered that they know
00:26:33.490 --> 00:26:36.970
about. And I know law enforcement did encourage
00:26:36.970 --> 00:26:39.849
them to keep their hand close to their chest,
00:26:39.970 --> 00:26:43.009
and they have done that. But it seems like they
00:26:43.009 --> 00:26:49.039
know something. I hope that whatever they know
00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:53.380
has brought them even a fraction of peace or
00:26:53.380 --> 00:26:56.740
justice so that their lives are a little bit
00:26:56.740 --> 00:26:58.980
easier after having gone through what they've
00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:02.480
gone through. But I'm hopeful that more information
00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:17.579
will come out. The accuracy or anything like
00:27:17.579 --> 00:27:20.339
that, I don't listen to podcasts about cases
00:27:20.339 --> 00:27:23.180
we're covering because I want to try to just
00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:26.420
stick to the facts and the reporting. That being
00:27:26.420 --> 00:27:30.339
said, I do know that that podcast generated a
00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:32.960
lot of interest in this case. And I think they
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.519
even were able to interview and uncover connections
00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:40.460
that maybe before weren't known to police, perhaps.
00:27:40.539 --> 00:27:45.670
So I hope with this, you know. energy in Rhonda's
00:27:45.670 --> 00:27:49.730
case and the new information and the commitment
00:27:49.730 --> 00:27:53.170
that the community has made to Rhonda that we'll
00:27:53.170 --> 00:27:56.849
find closure. And, you know, on her parents,
00:27:57.069 --> 00:28:00.849
they are incredible humans and, you know, they
00:28:00.849 --> 00:28:04.299
speak so beautifully about Rhonda and... you
00:28:04.299 --> 00:28:06.539
know, carrying the weight of her death all these
00:28:06.539 --> 00:28:09.500
years. But it really sounds like for her parents
00:28:09.500 --> 00:28:12.319
that seeing some justice in this case, having
00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:15.619
somebody answer for what was done to their daughter
00:28:15.619 --> 00:28:19.160
would mean a lot to them. And, you know, there's
00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:22.039
never really moving on from this, but it would
00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:25.099
give them, you know, that piece of the puzzle
00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:29.289
is done, like that door can be closed. for justice
00:28:29.289 --> 00:28:31.849
at least. So I really hope that happens for this
00:28:31.849 --> 00:28:34.410
family because all of our families are incredibly
00:28:34.410 --> 00:28:37.069
deserving, but I really want it for Rhonda's
00:28:37.069 --> 00:28:40.710
family in this case. Again, if you know anything
00:28:40.710 --> 00:28:44.049
about the murder of Rhonda Sue Coleman in May
00:28:44.049 --> 00:28:48.150
of 1990, please call the GBI Region 4 Douglas
00:28:48.150 --> 00:28:55.660
office at 912 -389 -4103. And we will have pictures
00:28:55.660 --> 00:28:59.099
of Rhonda on our Instagram at coldandmissing.
00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:01.740
We're also going to have a picture that police
00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:04.640
have provided over the years of her car the night
00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:07.720
it was found. So you'll be able to see the state
00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:09.539
that it was found in with the door open and everything.
00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:13.220
So that will be on our Instagram at coldandmissing.
00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:16.559
And if you're not following us, I do encourage
00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:18.339
you to follow us. We've had a lot of new followers,
00:29:18.420 --> 00:29:20.500
so welcome everyone who's found us recently.
00:29:21.339 --> 00:29:23.799
But if we ever need to take a week off, if something
00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:25.940
comes up, if life happens, we'll always post
00:29:25.940 --> 00:29:28.720
it there. And we're also posting active missing
00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:31.240
person cases in our stories, just trying to spread
00:29:31.240 --> 00:29:33.599
the word. So follow us there. Great resource
00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:35.859
for keeping up with the pod and the true crime
00:29:35.859 --> 00:29:39.150
community. Also, if you could take a minute today
00:29:39.150 --> 00:29:41.650
to rate and review us in your podcast player,
00:29:41.809 --> 00:29:44.230
it helps so much for others to find this podcast,
00:29:44.430 --> 00:29:47.609
to listen to the podcast, and to get these stories
00:29:47.609 --> 00:29:50.509
out there. Five stars goes a long way in the
00:29:50.509 --> 00:29:53.250
algorithm machine. So please, five stars if you
00:29:53.250 --> 00:29:56.140
can today. That would be... gorgeous thank you
00:29:56.140 --> 00:29:57.859
so much to all those who've done it we got some
00:29:57.859 --> 00:30:00.160
really gorgeous reviews this past week so thank
00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:02.420
you to everyone who's taken the time to do that
00:30:02.420 --> 00:30:05.759
truly i appreciate it so much and it makes my
00:30:05.759 --> 00:30:07.759
day like you would not even believe i'm over
00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:10.849
the moon when we get a new review And if you
00:30:10.849 --> 00:30:12.750
or your loved one is hard of hearing, we will
00:30:12.750 --> 00:30:15.950
have transcripts of this episode, official transcripts
00:30:15.950 --> 00:30:18.289
that have correct spelling and all that on our
00:30:18.289 --> 00:30:20.390
website at Cold and Missing. So if you're looking
00:30:20.390 --> 00:30:22.849
for that resource, it's there along with all
00:30:22.849 --> 00:30:25.630
of our other episodes from the last three years
00:30:25.630 --> 00:30:28.109
because we've been a podcast for three full years.
00:30:28.309 --> 00:30:32.269
So all the episodes can be found there. But that
00:30:32.269 --> 00:30:35.190
is all I have for you this week. Thank you so
00:30:35.190 --> 00:30:37.190
much for listening to Cold and Missing. I'm your
00:30:37.190 --> 00:30:40.430
host, Ali. And I'm your co -host, Eli. Have
00:30:40.430 --> 00:30:43.109
a good week and stay safe, y 'all. Stay safe,
00:30:43.150 --> 00:30:43.349
y 'all.
