Help Me Hayley: Cold Case Files

NonStop Local

When she isn't anchoring weekend newscasts, NonStop Local's Hayley Guenthner produces investigative pieces and covers crime all over the Inland Northwest. Help Me Hayley: Cold Case Files podcast reveals some of Spokane's most notorious, if not forgotten, crime cases.

  1. JAN 26

    Downtown Alley Murder | Cold Case Files | Episode 1

    *REUPLOAD* On January 3, 1997 a woman named Margaret Anselmo was found brutally murdered. She had been raped and her skull was crushed in. The crime happened as the entire town and law enforcement was consumed by the Spokane serial killer case. It was clear Margaret was not one of this serial killer's many victims. Now, after nearly 29 years, the family of homicide victim Margaret Anselmo finally have some answers about what happened that awful January day. Anselmo was fatally beaten and sexually assaulted in what investigators believe was most likely a ‘random act of violence.’ If you want to see more Help Me Hayley: Cold Case Files, be sure to follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel (@NonStopLocalNews) to be notified every time a new case drops.

    14 min

  2. 10/31/2023

    The Nurse

    It was November of 1981 when 24-year-old Kathryn 'Kathy' Rahe Gregory vanished in Spokane, WA. She was a beloved nurse who specialized in working with critically ill babies. She was married, and the couple lived on the lower south hill. Loved ones knew something was terribly wrong when Kathy missed a shift at the hospital. Kathy's body has never been found, but it's long been suspected she was the victim of a homicide. Her family launched a scholarship for nursing students in her memory. More of that can be found here: https://www.kathyrahescholarship.org/.

    16 min

  3. 10/05/2023

    On the 12th Floor

    In July of 1973, 25-year-old Archie Gonia was found beaten and strangled to death in the downtown Spokane hotel where he was working. The brutality of the crime has been described as 'overkill' by investigators. Archie's family says he was a very kind and gentle soul, and at times overly trusting of people. They are hopeful after all these years, tips will come in and they will get the answers they deserve.

    13 min

  4. 09/29/2023

    Forever 16

    On October 4,1978 the body of 16-year-old Krisann Baxter was found in North Spokane. She had been beaten, strangled and sexually assaulted. For decades, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office tried to catch a killer. There was no shortage of suspects, even confessions that were later ruled to be bogus. Nearly 45 years after the brutal crime, it was genetic genealogy and the company Othram who identified Keith D. Lindblom as their suspect. Lindblom died in a fire in 1981. His own family helped SCSO finally solve the case.

    16 min

  5. 08/30/2023

    Melinda's Message

    No one has seen or heard from Melinda Lopez since November of 2020. Loved ones fear she was the victim of a homicide. The Pend Oreille County Sheriff's Office urges anyone with information to come forward. To reach those potential witnesses, Melinda's family created a video flyer of Melinda herself. With a beloved photo and previous videos of her, it's a chilling plea for justice. If you know anything about Melinda's case, call 509-447-3151.

    18 min

  6. 04/26/2023

    Her Name is Ruth

    In June of 1984, two fishermen discovered the torso of a nude woman in the Spokane River. In 1998, the skull of that female victim was found in a vacant lot near 7th and Sherman. Her feet and hands have never been found. For 39 years, the victim remained nameless. Thanks to a tenacious detective and forensic genetic genealogy, in 2023 the victim was identified as Ruth Belle Waymire. But whoever killed the 24-year-old remains a mystery. If you can help police in any way, call 509-456-2233.

    13 min

  7. 07/11/2022

    The White Purse

    In July of 2004, the decomposing remains of Catherine Avis were found in a rural field outside of Valleyford. She had to be identified using a fingerprint and tattoo she had in honor of two of her children. The medical examiner could only determine she had died from homicidal violence. Catherine's purse was found and turned over to deputies weeks before her remains were discovered. Now, the bag still sits in evidence. It's one of few clues in this cold case that her now grown children are hoping could get the break it needs. And soon.

    14 min

  8. 04/04/2022

    The Little Witness

    In August of 1976, a 24-year-old Lewiston mother vanished. For years, Patty Otto's daughters were told she left voluntarily, despite her youngest recalling vivid memories of a violent fight that night between her parents. Patty's husband was arrested shortly after she disappeared, accused of trying to coordinate the murder of an LPD investigator looking into the case. He was never charged with harming his wife. Patty's daughter is on a mission to find out the truth. Could a 1978 discovery in Oregon be the key to solving this case? KHQ talks in depth about the case's twists and turns with Patty's daughter who refuses to ever give up her fight for answers.

    26 min
See All (52)

4.8
out of 5
80 Ratings

About

When she isn't anchoring weekend newscasts, NonStop Local's Hayley Guenthner produces investigative pieces and covers crime all over the Inland Northwest. Help Me Hayley: Cold Case Files podcast reveals some of Spokane's most notorious, if not forgotten, crime cases.

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