The Toll
20 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 330 ratingsThe Toll focuses on the effects a violent crime or traumatic event has on a family and community. Season 1 focuses on a cold case from Springfield, Missouri; the 1975 murder of 9-year-old Shirley Jane Rose. Our host, award winning journalist Nancy Simpson, interviews investigators and family members, taking the listener on a journey of what ends up being not just one, but many tragedies intertwined.
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Episodes
My Mom Married A Murderer
October 12, 2021 19:27 - 1 hour - 149 MBNancy here... A pregnant teenager was murdered in the Ozarks in the 1970s. My mother married the girl's killer. So many lies. What was the truth? Eventually, I had to know more.
Hearts for Gloria - E02
February 20, 2021 21:00 - 48 minutes - 110 MBA woman's body was found on a truck stop parking lot in Springfield, Missouri in 1997 - far from her home near Memphis. Gloria Jean Barnes' body was discovered the day before her 36th birthday. No family gathering, no cake, no celebration. Gloria got an autopsy for her birthday. As police work on leads, all they find are dead ends. For the first time in over two decades, Gloria's sister and brother are speaking out about what they believe happened the night Gloria was taken from Joiner, Arka...
Hearts for Gloria - E01
February 19, 2021 20:00 - 43 minutes - 99.6 MBA woman's body was found on a truck stop parking lot in Springfield, Missouri in 1997 - far from her home near Memphis. Gloria Jean Barnes' body was discovered the day before her 36th birthday. No family gathering, no cake, no celebration. Gloria got an autopsy for her birthday. As police work on leads, all they find are dead ends. For the first time in over two decades, Gloria's sister and brother are speaking out about what they believe happened the night Gloria was taken from Joiner, Arka...
Unsettled - E02
January 15, 2021 02:13 - 32 minutes - 74.2 MBA bartender and mom of 3 went missing after closing up after work in Ava, Missouri. A newly elected sheriff picks up the case several years later, looking to find who murdered Rene Williams. What he uncovers is a suspected serial killer. Where was Rene buried? Who helped move her body? How many more victims are connected to Christopher Revak? Join us on our journey into a murder in the Ozarks. Part 2 of “The Toll: Unsettled”
Unsettled - E01
January 07, 2021 17:07 - 30 minutes - 69.4 MBA bartender and mom of 3 went missing after closing up after work in Ava, Missouri. A newly elected sheriff picks up the case several years later, looking to find who murdered Rene Williams. What he uncovers is a suspected serial killer. Where was Rene buried? Who helped move her body? How many more victims are connected to Christopher Revak? Join us on our journey into a murder in the Ozarks. Part 1 of “The Toll: Unsettled”
Bonus - Snakeman: Inside the Dealer’s Den
July 10, 2020 16:38 - 17 minutes - 41.1 MBNancy interviews a family member of Jim Sullivan, aka Snakeman, from episode 5. Sullivan was a drug manufacturer and dealer who was murdered in an ambush killing in 1986.
Bonus - Back to the Basement
May 01, 2020 23:41 - 13 minutes - 33.3 MBThe house Shirley called home intrigues her cousin Kristi, who requests a tour of her own. What does Kristi see in the ghost video? What happens in the basement?
Bonus - A Knock Away
April 24, 2020 17:19 - 9 minutes - 23.9 MBWith the help of a private investigator, Nancy was able to track down one of two men arrested for the murder of Shirley Jane Rose in 1975. They were both released for lack of evidence. The case remains unsolved. Here's their conversation.
Bonus - Detective Steiger Q&A (New Revelations)
April 17, 2020 16:00 - 24 minutes - 56.6 MBThe Toll team discusses follow-up questions to "The Path Back Home” with expert murder investigator, Cloyd Steiger. Two new layers of this story are also revealed.
S01 E09 - Detective Steiger Q&A (New Revelations)
April 17, 2020 16:00 - 24 minutes - 56.6 MBThe Toll team discusses follow-up questions to "The Path Back Home” with expert murder investigator, Cloyd Steiger. Two new layers of this story are also revealed.
S01 E08 - Devil's Abacus
October 17, 2019 12:07 - 34 minutes - 79.4 MBSuspect or source; Nancy speaks with a man who is well-connected to the Shirley Jane Rose murder case and listens to his story about his encounter with the community’s main suspect. Will Springfield PD solve the cold case?
S01 E07 - Déjà Vu
October 17, 2019 12:06 - 33 minutes - 77.1 MBIn this episode, Nancy Simpson tells the story of another Springfield girl abducted from the same area four decades later. Ten-year-old Hailey Owens was snatched off the street and murdered. Listen to The Toll another child loss has on this community.
S01 E06 - Mrs. White
October 17, 2019 12:05 - 24 minutes - 57.9 MBNancy reaches out to the Springfield, MO community and speaks with the daughter of Shirley’s Jane’s teacher. In her interview the daughter shares stories about the nine-year-old through the eyes of her heart-broken mother.
S01 E05 - Snakeman
October 17, 2019 12:04 - 35 minutes - 83.1 MBA continuation of the paranormal investigation asks a critical question concerning Shirley Jane Rose's death. A new theory shifts us to believe the nine-year-old’s murder could be linked to a story surrounding Shirley’s mom and dangerous drug dealers.
S01 E04 - A Haunting Addition
October 17, 2019 12:03 - 42 minutes - 98.2 MBThe childhood home of Shirley Jane Rose is center stage as many locals believe the home to be haunted by the spirit of the murdered child. Nancy and Jay explore the home and listen to multiple ghostly claims.
S01 E04 - The Haunted House
October 17, 2019 12:03 - 42 minutes - 98.2 MBThe childhood home of Shirley Jane Rose is center stage as many locals believe the home to be haunted by the spirit of the murdered child. Nancy and Jay explore the home and listen to multiple ghostly claims.
S01 E03 - The Judge's Letter
October 17, 2019 12:02 - 35 minutes - 83.1 MBA judge writes an open letter to the killer. In it, he outlines what he believes are the nine-year-old’s last moments on Earth and vows to watch the killer as he dies in the gas chamber. Nancy walks the path Shirley Jane Rose took on October 17th, 1975.
S01 E02 - I Didn't Do It
October 17, 2019 12:01 - 56 minutes - 130 MBNancy Simpson digs into the theories behind Shirley Jane Rose’s murder. A reporter who covered the case in 1975 recalls a midnight run with police and a satanic gathering; a neighbor is forever haunted by her decisions on that fateful day.
S01 E01 - Pilot
October 17, 2019 12:00 - 33 minutes - 78.8 MBIt began 44 years ago. October 17th marks the anniversary of the brutal murder of a 9 year-old girl that remains unsolved. The Toll Season 1: The Path Back Home is the story of Shirley Jane Rose told by true crime investigative journalist Nancy Simpson.
S01 - Trailer
June 26, 2019 14:00 - 2 minutes - 6.8 MBA brutal murder of a child has gone unsolved for 44 years. Join us in uncovering the untold stories, digging deep into the fullness of this cold case. Season 1 of The Toll is in final production, so listen to our trailer, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social to stay up-to-date with episode releases and exclusive content.