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Missing Pieces

Missing Pieces

De: Norse Studio
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This channel explores real-life crimes, unsolved cases, and the dark psychology behind them. Each episode dives deep into evidence, motives, and the stories that still haunt investigators and families. We focus on facts, timelines, and credible sources — without sensationalism. From cold cases to shocking verdicts, these are the stories that refuse to stay buried. Listen closely — every crime leaves a trace.

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Episodios
  • Cold Case Love: The Tragic Rivalry of Sherri and Stephanie

    Cold Case Love: The Tragic Rivalry of Sherri and Stephanie
    Mar 15 2026
    This is a tragic story of a promising life cut short by a toxic obsession and a justice system that took over two decades to uncover the truth. At its center is Sherri Rasmussen, a remarkably bright and ambitious woman who had achieved significant professional success by her mid-twenties. Born into a close-knit family, Sherri was a high achiever from a young age, skipping two grades and entering university at just sixteen to pursue a career in nursing. By the age of twenty-seven, she had risen to the position of director of nursing, a testament to her dedication and empathy.
    In 1984, Sherri met John Ruetten, an engineer, and the two quickly fell in love. Their relationship progressed rapidly, leading to an engagement and a wedding in November 1985. However, their happiness was shadowed by the presence of Stephanie Lazarus, a woman John had known since college. While John viewed his past relationship with Stephanie as a casual, "no-strings-attached" friendship, Stephanie was deeply obsessed with him.
    The tension escalated when Stephanie, who had become a police officer, began stalking and confronting Sherri. In one chilling encounter at the hospital where Sherri worked, Stephanie reportedly told her, "If I can't have John, no one can". Despite Sherri’s growing unease and reports of someone following her, the threat was largely dismissed by those around her, including John, who believed Stephanie was harmless.
    On February 24, 1986, only three months after the wedding, the tragedy occurred. Sherri had stayed home from work due to back pain. When John returned home that evening, he found the garage door open and Sherri’s BMW missing. Inside, he discovered Sherri’s body; she had been brutally beaten and shot three times. The crime scene appeared to be a burglary gone wrong, with electronics stacked on the stairs and drawers rifled through.
    The initial investigation focused on the theory of a botched robbery committed by two men, a narrative supported by similar crimes in the area. Despite Sherri’s father repeatedly urging detectives to investigate Stephanie Lazarus, his pleas were ignored. As a fellow officer, Stephanie was never a serious suspect, and John’s alibi was solid. The case eventually went cold for twenty-three years.
    A breakthrough finally came in 2004 when forensic technology allowed for the testing of a bite mark found on Sherri’s arm. To the investigators' surprise, the DNA belonged to a woman, completely contradicting the original "two male burglars" theory. In 2009, a new team of detectives re-examined the files and realized the "burglary" had been meticulously staged—the electronics were stacked too neatly, and no valuables like jewelry were actually taken.
    Suspicion turned toward Stephanie Lazarus. To obtain her DNA without alerting her, investigators surreptitiously followed her and collected a discarded cup she had used. The DNA matched the evidence from the bite mark perfectly. During a recorded interrogation, Stephanie’s demeanor changed dramatically when the questioning shifted from her professional work to her past relationship with John, exhibiting erratic facial expressions and defensive behavior.
    Stephanie Lazarus was arrested in 2009 and convicted of first-degree murder in 2012. She was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison. While Sherri’s parents passed away shortly after the verdict, they finally saw the justice they had fought for over two decades, revealing that the person sworn to uphold the law was the one who had violently taken their daughter's life.


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    36 m
  • The Architect of the Overman: The Maude Julien Story

    The Architect of the Overman: The Maude Julien Story
    Mar 14 2026
    The story of Maude Julien is a chilling account of a psychological experiment conducted by her own father, Louis Didier, who sought to raise a "superhuman" capable of withstanding any physical or mental hardship. This dark journey began long before Maude was even born. In 1936, Louis, a wealthy and eccentric businessman with ties to esoteric philosophies, "purchased" a six-year-old girl from a poor miner. He raised this girl in total isolation, providing her with an education and eventually marrying her when she reached adulthood. His sole purpose for this arrangement was to ensure she would become the perfect, submissive mother for his ultimate project: a child he could mold into a being of pure will and resilience.
    Maude was born in 1957 and immediately became the subject of her father’s cruel and meticulous training. From her earliest years, she was denied any form of maternal affection, as her father forbade her mother from hugging or comforting her. The goal was to eliminate "weakness" and emotional dependency. Her childhood was spent within the confines of a remote, high-walled mansion in northern France, completely cut off from the outside world.
    The "educational" methods Louis employed were nothing short of torture. To teach her to master fear, Maude was frequently locked overnight in a dark, damp cellar. She was forced to wear bells on her clothes so that any movement—even shivering—would be detected by her parents. Her father filled her head with terrifying stories, claiming that if she made a sound or opened her mouth, the mice in the cellar would crawl inside and eat her from within.
    Physical hardening was equally brutal. Maude was never allowed to use warm water, which her father deemed a luxury for the weak; she bathed only in freezing water and lived in an unheated room, even during the harshest winters. To prepare her for "high society" and to test her mental clarity under influence, he forced her to drink large quantities of alcohol and then walk perfectly straight lines. Perhaps most harrowing was the "discipline of the wire," where she was forced to hold an electrified barbed wire fence for ten minutes at a time without flinching, crying, or making a single sound.
    Communication was also strictly controlled. Maude was only permitted to speak if she had something "intelligent" to say, usually concerning deep philosophical questions or the meaning of life. Small talk and the normal expressions of a child’s curiosity were silenced. Her only outlet was music, as her father insisted she become a virtuoso on multiple instruments, believing music to be a bridge to the ideal mind.
    The path to her eventual escape began when she was sixteen. Her father hired a music teacher who, after months of gaining Louis's trust, convinced him that Maude needed to take lessons at his own home to further her development. For the first time in her life, Maude stepped outside the walls of her prison. She was overwhelmed by the simplest sights, such as buses and strangers, having no understanding of how to interact with a world she had never known.
    Through these lessons, she met a young man named Richard. Seeing a chance for freedom, she accepted his marriage proposal. To gain her father's permission, she had to lie, promising she would return home to care for him after only six months of marriage. Once she was legally wed and under the protection of her husband at the age of eighteen, she broke all ties with her parents and never looked back.
    The transition to a normal life was an immense struggle. Maude had to learn the most basic social skills, from how to order in a restaurant to how to navigate a city. The physical toll of her upbringing was also evident; she required extensive dental work due to neglect and suffered from liver damage caused by the forced alcohol consumption of her childhood.
    Ultimately, Maude transformed her trauma into a mission of healing. She became a professional therapist, specializing in helping others recover from early childhood trauma and emotional abuse. By writing about her experiences, she shed light on the extreme depths of psychological manipulation, proving that even after a childhood defined by isolation and cruelty, the human spirit can find a way toward freedom and empathy.


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    32 m
  • The Murder of Billie-Jo Jenkins: The Search for Truth

    The Murder of Billie-Jo Jenkins: The Search for Truth
    Mar 13 2026
    In 1997, the town of Hastings was not considered a particularly safe place, with residents frustrated by a string of unsolved petty crimes and strange occurrences. Within this environment lived the Jenkins family: a father, a mother, and their four daughters. They had also opened their home to a foster child, Billie-Jo, and were in the middle of a legal process to officially adopt her.
    The Day of the Incident On Saturday, February 15, the atmosphere in the household was notably tense. Billie-Jo was tasked with painting a garden fence to earn money for new shoes, but she was reportedly distracted and performed the task poorly. This led to a series of disagreements with her father regarding the quality of her work and the volume of her music.
    Around 3:00 PM, the father left the house with two of his daughters to pick up another daughter from a clarinet lesson. After a brief return home, he claimed he needed to buy "white spirit" for the painting project and drove to a DIY store. However, he allegedly realized he had forgotten his wallet at the shop and returned home without making a purchase. Upon arriving back around 4:00 PM, his daughters discovered Billie-Jo lying in the garden in a pool of blood. She had been struck multiple times with a heavy metal tent peg found on the property.
    Suspicious Circumstances and Investigation Investigators quickly noted several anomalies in the father's behavior. When he first called emergency services, he suggested the girl had suffered an "accident" and admitted he had not checked her pulse or breathing. Instead of staying by her side, he called a neighbor to help, supposedly to manage his other daughters. Witnesses also reported him calmly closing the roof of his convertible car as it began to rain and engaging in casual conversation with a neighbor while waiting for the ambulance. Furthermore, it was later discovered that the "white spirit" he claimed to need was actually stored in the garden shed the entire time.
    The most damaging evidence was the discovery of over 150 microscopic blood droplets on the father's clothing. The prosecution argued these were "impact spatter" resulting from him standing over the victim during the attack. In 1998, he was convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison.
    Appeals and Exoneration The conviction was challenged years later. A new medical theory suggested that the blood droplets could have been caused by "exhaled air bubbles" from the victim's lungs as the father held her, rather than from the force of the blows. This medical ambiguity led to a retrial, and in 2006, the father was officially acquitted. Despite his exoneration, he was denied financial compensation because the case remained shrouded in doubt and many family members still believed in his guilt.
    Alternative Theories Several alternative theories persist regarding the identity of the killer:
    • "Mr. B": A local man with significant mental health issues was known for observing houses and sticking plastic bags into holes to "ward off evil spirits". A piece of a plastic bag was found deep inside the victim's nasal cavity, a detail experts linked to someone with a disordered mind. This man was reportedly seen near the park adjacent to the house on the day of the murder.
    • The Serial Killer Theory: Some suggest the crime matches the profile of a serial killer active in the London area at the time, who targeted young women with blunt force trauma to the head.
    • Family Protection: A less common theory posits that the father may have been covering for another family member, explaining his strange behavior and attempts to create an alibi.
    The case remains one of the most controversial unsolved mysteries in the region, with no definitive answers as to who entered the garden that afternoon.


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    47 m
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