Texas Monthly True Crime: Shane and Sally

Shane and Sally | 7. The Cold Case

In the final episode of Shane and Sally, victims in a series of unsolved attacks at the lakes surrounding San Angelo wonder if their assailants were also the ones who killed Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly. Investigators discuss the possibility that someone in law enforcement could know more about the murders than they’ve let on. And we explore how new DNA technology, and a new cold case investigative unit, could finally bring fresh leads in the case. Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on...

Shane and Sally | 6. The Edge of Town

In this episode, we explore the last of four suspects investigators have named in their investigation into Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly’s murders. In the eighties, Heath Davis was a violent drug dealer with a tough reputation around town, who associated with other main suspects in this case. Davis says he’s turned his life around today and that he has been unfairly targeted by investigators. But a witness in the investigation tells us there’s more about Heath’s past that he hasn’t answered...

Shane and Sally | 5. The Man on the Moon

The investigation continues with a look at a third suspect, Jimmy Burnett, who appears to have written his own notes as he tried to solve the murders of Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly. But his ex-girlfriend Laura says he knew more than he let on. In this episode, we take our investigation halfway around the world to track down Burnett, who, according to the authorities, moved to the Philippines and then faked his own death. Get 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free D...

Shane and Sally | 4. The Devil and the Lost Boy

In this episode, we take a closer look at two of the investigators’ suspects: Steve Schafer and John Gilbreath. Witnesses told authorities that Schafer was the leader of a local Satanic group whose members included Shane and Sally, though Schafer says he was never part of the group. Gilbreath is the man who, in 2017, was found to have suspicious evidence in his home, including a lock of hair, a fingernail, and notes about Shane and Sally's murders. While authorities have since found that the ...

Shane and Sally | Bonus Videos

Rob D’Amico and Karen Jacobs, hosts of "Shane and Sally," reconvene in the podcast studio to dive deeper into questions surrounding the 1988 cold case murder of two West Texas teenagers. With every new episode of the podcast, Rob and Karen give additional commentary in bonus videos, examining exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, images, and interviews with subjects involved in the case. For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/shaneandsally

Shane and Sally | 3. An Open Investigation

In this episode, investigators Larry Counts and David Jones detail their initial steps in trying to solve the case—and share the story of how Shane and Sally started speaking with the authorities just months before they were killed. Then, officials at the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office today share their frustrations with the initial investigation, and detail the surviving evidence from the crime scene.

Shane and Sally | 2. Lost Horizons

In the fall of 1987, Shane Stewart and Sally McNelly met through mutual friends and began dating. Shane was tall and confident. Sally loved to be the center of attention and moved easily between groups of friends.  Later that year, the two began spending more time with a group of teenagers who met up to practice occult rituals. Some friends say the group's activities were just games, but by the summer of 1988, something had changed. Sally told one friend that she and Shane were leaving San An...

Shane and Sally | 1. A Long, Hot Summer

On July 4, 1988, sixteen-year-old Shane Stewart and eighteen-year-old Sally McNelly went out for the night in their West Texas hometown of San Angelo. They watched the fireworks, stopped for burgers, and drove out to the lake outside of town. They were never seen alive again. That summer, as their parents waited for news from the authorities, Shane’s father Marshall began an investigation of his own, discovering the teens may have been swept up in the town’s darkest of undercurrents. For mor...

Shane and Sally | Trailer

On July 4, 1988, 16-year-old Shane Stewart and 18-year-old Sally McNelly went out for the night in the West Texas town of San Angelo. They watched the fireworks, stopped for burgers, and drove to the lake outside of town. They were never seen alive again. For 35 years, their murders have haunted their family and friends, and frustrated generations of investigators from the local police to the FBI. Hosts Rob D’Amico and Karen Jacobs take listeners behind the scenes of the cold case investigat...

Stephenville | 6. Hatley

In the series finale, Scott Hatley’s journal tells the story of how he built a new life on the run from police. And when the truth comes out, people in Stephenville must confront how little they knew about the man who killed Susan Woods. For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

Stephenville | 5. Scott

Lt. Don Miller discovers the hand-written life story of the man who killed Susan Woods. The murderer, it turns out, wasn't a stranger or an outsider to Stephenville, but a local boy nobody suspected. For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

Stephenville | 4. Shannon

In 1988, Shannon Myers survived a brutal attack by Joseph Scott Hatley, the man whose fingerprints were also present at the scene of Susan Woods’s murder. Her statement to police—which included his chilling confession—created an opportunity to put Hatley behind bars for both crimes. For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

Stephenville | 3. Don

Nearly twenty years after Susan Woods's murder, Stephenville Police Lieutenant Don Miller takes up the case. And with Michael Woods's cooperation, and help from new technology, Don finally makes a break in the case. But what he uncovers raises even more questions about why Susan was killed—and how her killer evaded justice for so long. For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

Stephenville | 2. Michael

After Susan Woods was killed, just about everyone in Stephenville—including the police—figured they knew who’d done it. Her estranged husband, Michael Woods, was a long-haired biker who smoked pot and played rock music—a complete misfit in the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

Stephenville | 1. Susan

In the summer of 1987, 30-year-old Susan Woods was living alone in her hometown of Stephenville, Texas, piecing her life back together after being abandoned by her husband. Then, one sweltering July evening, Susan’s father came to check on her. For more on this and every episode, visit texasmonthly.com/stephenville

Stephenville | Trailer

From the moment Susan Woods was found dead at home in the summer of 1987, everyone in Stephenville, Texas—including the police—was certain she’d been killed by her estranged husband. That left the real culprit free to prey on others. In "Stephenville," best-selling author Bryan Burrough returns to his small-town Texas roots to explore a murder case that went cold for nearly two decades. Only now, after discovering a voice from beyond the grave, can the whole story finally be told—a story abo...

Voyage Media Presents: The Patsy

Karen Dunlap Graham recounts a daughter's worst nightmare, as her father Max Dunlap is accused of involvement in the assassination of investigative reporter Don Bolles, a scandal that immediately becomes a national news story. The Patsy is a production of Voyage Media. The series is produced, reported, and written by Chris Leitch and Adam Prince, and directed by Chris Leitch. Executive produced by Nat Mundel, Karen Graham, Robert Mitas, Kaitlyn Brown, and Dan Benamor. Edited, sound designed,...

New From Texas Monthly: White Hats

From Texas Monthly comes a story of the Wild West, the first American superheroes, the legendary riders in white hats, Los Diablos Tejanos—the Texas Rangers. “White Hats” tells the true history of these larger-than-life rangers, who have become one of the defining symbols of the state. Join host Jack Herrera as we explore the fantastical tales of Ranger legends like Jack Coffee Hays, who rode into battle with the Lipan Apache chief Flacco, and Frank Hamer, who hunted down the outlaws Bonnie a...

Voyage Media Presents: Borderline

In 1985, in Texas, Jayson Woodward stepped outside of her home and was abducted, raped, and held hostage, until she managed to escape her assailant. He was captured on the border between the United States and Mexico. Three unknown armed men would later kidnap Jayson's rapist from a Mexican jail, and bring him back to Texas, where he was found in a park, in his underwear, by Texas law enforcement. An incredible true crime story of a terrible crime that became an international incident, as well...

Tom Brown's Body | 9. Another Day in Canadian

"I'll never lose that hope. It could be five years from today. The door is always open at our office for anything that will bring resolution to this case."

9. Another Day in Canadian

"I'll never lose that hope. It could be five years from today. The door is always open at our office for anything that will bring resolution to this case."

New From Texas Monthly: America’s Girls

The original Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad burst onto the field back in 1972—the same year Title IX passed, the same year Deep Throat came out, and a year before Roe v. Wade. Sarah Hepola digs into the untold stories behind the global pop culture phenomenon, from the stripper who allegedly inspired the squad’s creation, to a scandalous Playboy cover shoot that was partly a battle over fair wages, to the ongoing debate about sexuality and women’s bodies in a post-#MeToo world. The result i...

C13Features Presents: Ghostwriter

Ghostwriter follows Kate Michaels (Kate Mara), a writer who is offered work ghostwriting a new novel about a mysterious killer. As she collaborates with the idiosyncratic billionaire behind the project (Adam Scott), she finds herself growing dependent on him — and she’s sure that something isn’t right.

An Update from Skip

There have finally been a couple of developments in the case. But will they lead to the truth about what happened to Tom?

Tom Brown's Body | An Update from Skip

There have finally been a couple of developments in the case. But will they lead to the truth about what happened to Tom?

Introducing: State of Mind

There’s something different about Texas. But how do you define it without resorting to cliches about cowboys and oilmen? At Texas Monthly, we think the answer is through stories — stories like the ones we’ve been telling for almost 50 years. On State of Mind, you’ll hear those stories from our talented writers and from a wide array of other Texans. Each of them is a window into the experience of life here. Join us each week for a new story about life in the Lone Star State, from the Texas Mon...

Introducing: The Apology Line

Introducing a brand new podcast from Wondery called The Apology Line.

8. The Remains

"I'm definitely more paranoid wherever I go. I definitely watch my back more and pay attention to what's going on around me."

Tom Brown's Body | 8. The Remains

"I'm definitely more paranoid wherever I go. I definitely watch my back more and pay attention to what's going on around me."

7. The Wake

"The people of the town are calling us and saying, 'Do we have a monster that lives in our community?' I wish I could give them Solace."

Tom Brown's Body | 7. The Wake

"The people of the town are calling us and saying, 'Do we have a monster that lives in our community?' I wish I could give them Solace."

6. The Thicket

"I'm like, 'What the heck is that?' So, I walk around some shrubs, and as I get closer I can see that it kind of looks like bone."

Tom Brown's Body | 6. The Thicket

"I'm like, 'What the heck is that?' So, I walk around some shrubs, and as I get closer I can see that it kind of looks like bone."

5. Unusual Suspects

“It's kind of strange that your investigator calls this search, and lo and behold, right after he starts the search, a cell phone is found.”

Tom Brown's Body | 5. Unusual Suspects

“It's kind of strange that your investigator calls this search, and lo and behold, right after he starts the search, a cell phone is found.”

Tom Brown's Body | 4. Lake Marvin Road

"I'm sitting there thinking, 'Oh God, I'm so scared right now.' I couldn't convince them. And so I just let them hammer me."

4. Lake Marvin Road

"I'm sitting there thinking, 'Oh God, I'm so scared right now.' I couldn't convince them. And so I just let them hammer me."

3. Evil Has Come to Canadian

"Makes you want to go to the church, get on your knees and say a few words, right?

Tom Brown's Body | 3. Evil Has Come to Canadian

"Makes you want to go to the church, get on your knees and say a few words, right?

Introducing Murder Book Season 2

We hope you're enjoying “Tom Brown’s Body” and that if you haven't already, you'll subscribe and tell your friends about this story. We also wanted to tell you about another true crime podcast -- this one's from writer Michael Connelly. Season 2 of Murder Book “The Women Who Stopped Sam Little” launched on October 5. The series follows a Los Angeles Police Department cold case investigator's relentless hunt for Little across the country to capture and convict him with the help of a group of e...

2. Tom's Loop

"My gut tells me he hasn't left Hemphill County. I think he's here somewhere, and I don't know if he intends to come out in the next day or two."

Tom Brown's Body | 2. Tom's Loop

"My gut tells me he hasn't left Hemphill County. I think he's here somewhere, and I don't know if he intends to come out in the next day or two."

1. A Pretty Little Place

“Someone is lying. And it’s hard to know who’s lying and who’s not.”

Tom Brown's Body | 1. A Pretty Little Place

“Someone is lying. And it’s hard to know who’s lying and who’s not.”

Tom Brown's Body | Trailer

Trailer