Voices for the Victims
In 1970, Mary Petry and Bill Sproat, two university students in love, were murdered in a Columbus, Ohio apartment. The crime was so brutal it drew comparisons to the Manson murders of the previous year. The case has never been solved. Host/Producer Justin Glanville and the sisters of the two victims track down friends, witnesses to the original investigation and the Columbus police to understand why the case remains unsolved, despite the existence of solid DNA evidence and the fact that police s
7 most recent episodes
Visit website →The approvals process for submitting DNA evidence proves time-consuming, as Columbus Police ready samples for “familial searches” of offender databases. A woman whose sister was murdered in the 1980s explains how forensic genealogy led to answers and
Columbus Police agree to speak with Mary's identical twin sister, Martha Petry, and reveal they are waiting to submit DNA evidence for forensic genealogy analysis. First, they're working to rule out two other suspects. James Renner, a true crime auth
A woman who shared a ride to Columbus with Mary recalls Mary was adamant about waiting for Bill to pick her up from a hotel lobby, which Mary's brother finds puzzling. Podcast host Justin Glanville explores a possible connection between the crime and
Police and family members have long speculated that whoever killed Mary Petry and Bill Sproat may have known them. There were no signs of forced entry into the apartment, and the brutal nature of the killings indicates an emotional component. But Mar
The Columbus police make a surprise visit to Cleveland, and one of the surviving reporters who covered the murders of Mary Petry and Bill Sproat in 1970 shares details on the cold case. A forensic pathologist reviews the autopsy and coroner's reports
A formal request is made to the Columbus Police Department for documents related to the murders of Mary Petry and Bill Sproat, inspiring an unexpected visit from detectives. Police reports begin to flesh out the timeline of the crime, and a tour of t
Growing up, I heard my parents talk about the grisly 1970 double homicide of their college friend Bill Sproat and Bill’s girlfriend, Mary Petry, near the The Ohio State University campus in Columbus. No arrests were ever made. The murders of Mary and