0:48

Welcome back to the Real Crime Diary

0:50

, where shadows of the past unearth

0:52

stories long buried , waiting to be told

0:54

. I'm your guide on this journey

0:56

through the dark corners of history , and

0:59

today we dive deep into a tale chilling

1:01

to the bone the Oakland County

1:03

Child Murders . From

1:14

a fairytale suburbia north of Detroit , michigan , emerges a sinister narrative

1:16

that haunts the memories of all who remember the years 1976

1:19

and 1977 . Four young lives cut short , a community gripped

1:21

with fear and a killer so cunning , so elusive . They vanished without trace

1:23

, leaving behind only loss

1:25

and unresolved torment . In

1:27

this episode we open the files , step

1:30

by step , of

1:35

this cold case . With each piece of the puzzle we inch closer to the grim

1:37

reality these children faced in the relentless pursuit of closure . So as the day

1:39

wanes and the cloak of night draws near

1:41

, brace yourself for a journey into

1:43

the heart of the real crime diary . Stay

1:46

with me as we unravel the haunting saga

1:49

of the Oakland County child murders . The

1:57

quaint suburban streets of Oakland County , michigan

1:59

, became the backdrop for a series

2:01

of abductions and murders that would

2:04

not only horrify the residents but

2:06

irreversibly chill the heart of America

2:08

. Between February 1976

2:11

and March 1977 , an

2:13

elusive predator , later known as

2:15

the Oakland County Child Killer embarked

2:18

on an unfathomable spree , taking

2:21

the innocence of the community along

2:23

with the precious lives of at least four children

2:25

aged between 10 and 12 . It

2:29

began on a cold winter's day , february

2:31

15 , 1976 , when

2:33

12-year-old Mark Stebbins vanished after

2:36

leaving an American Legion Hall . Just

2:38

days later , his body was found a

2:40

victim of strangulation , signifying

2:42

the commencement of a parent's worst nightmare

2:45

. This marked the first chapter

2:47

in a calendar year of tragedy that would see three

2:49

more children , jill Robinson

2:51

, christine Mihelik and Timothy King , abducted

2:54

from routine activities , their lives extinguished

2:56

and left displayed in public areas , as

2:59

if to mock the safety we all hold dear

3:01

. Each child was last seen going

3:03

about banal day-to-day tasks stepping

3:06

out for groceries , heading to a corner pharmacy

3:08

, activities that we as a society

3:10

take for granted as harmless . These

3:13

mundane moments transformed sinisterly

3:15

, as connections between the cases

3:18

solidified , into a fear that gripped

3:20

at every parent's throat . None

3:22

strayed far from home yet met

3:24

fates that seem incomprehensibly

3:26

distant from the security of their neighborhood

3:28

streets . As bodies were

3:30

discovered each within 19 days of

3:32

disappearance , chill

3:36

dread became a tangible veil over Oakland County . The death signified the largest murder

3:38

investigation in US history . At the time

3:40

, newspapers and airwaves

3:42

became saturated with updates and warnings

3:45

, the sinister details piercing

3:47

the public consciousness with an inescapable

3:49

persistence . This was not just

3:51

a series of crimes . It was an event that

3:53

reshaped the community , shifting

3:55

from an innocent trust in the quiet of suburbia

3:58

to a gnawed , nail-biting terror

4:00

. The after-school freedom once

4:02

liberally granted to children was curtailed

4:04

. The specter of these grim events

4:07

lurking in every stranger's face and at

4:09

the end of each driveway , parents questioned

4:11

their every decision , their trust

4:13

in their neighbors and , most hauntingly , whether their

4:15

child could be the Oakland County child killer's

4:17

next victim . In response , law

4:20

enforcement from multiple communities coalesced

4:22

into a task force singularly devoted to

4:24

capturing the culprit , checking thousands

4:26

of tips and alerting other alert citizens

4:29

to be ever vigilant , transforming

4:31

everyone into a sentinel , an extra

4:33

pair of watchful eyes that might catch a glimpse

4:35

of the heinous villain responsible for these

4:37

atrocities . And

4:39

alongside the wave of trepidation

4:41

washing over the once peaceful suburbs

4:44

, local and national media

4:46

swept in like a second deluge , fervently

4:49

reporting each distressing update and etching

4:51

the horrors into the annals of criminal infamy

4:53

. Through all of this , the citizens

4:55

of Oakland County would never look at a neighbor

4:58

, a passing car or a child on their way

5:00

to the store in the same way . The

5:02

ghostly silence of trust shattered , replaced

5:05

by the deafening echo of lost innocence

5:07

that continues to reverberate through the decades

5:09

. The Oakland County child murders are

5:11

not just a case of individual tragedy

5:13

, but a watershed moment in the

5:16

collective experience of an entire community

5:18

, a testament to the vulnerability

5:20

we all share and the resolute

5:22

courage required to face a lurking darkness

5:25

that to this day remains

5:27

unresolved . The heart-wrenching saga

5:29

of the Oakland County child murders is punctuated

5:32

by the lives of innocent children taken

5:34

far too soon . Each victim

5:36

, a story untold , a future

5:39

unfulfilled , forever etched

5:41

in the tragic tapestry of this case . Let's

5:44

take a moment and honor their memories by

5:46

telling their stories . First

5:48

there was Mark Douglas Stebbins , a 12-year-old

5:51

from Ferndale . On a chilly February

5:53

day in 1976 , mark

5:56

bid farewell to his mother , leaving

5:58

the American Legion Hall , never

6:00

to return . For four haunting

6:02

days , his family waited , hoped and feared

6:04

. Mark's lifeless body was tragically

6:06

discovered in a Southfield office building

6:08

parking lot . His last ensemble

6:11

of clothing cloaked him in death , as

6:13

it had in life . The dreadful

6:16

signs of strangulation and assault revealed

6:18

a monstrous act , compounded

6:20

by the cruel lacerations on his head and

6:23

the heartbreaking evidence that he had been bound

6:25

. Mark's story is

6:27

that of a child's trust betrayed and

6:29

a community's peace shattered . And

6:32

then there was Jill Robinson , age 12 , from

6:34

Royal Oak . Picture this it's

6:37

December 22 , 1976

6:39

. Dinner preparations turn into

6:41

a disagreement and a frustrated

6:43

Jill hops on her bicycle backpack

6:45

in tow to distance herself from the

6:47

discord . The bicycle

6:50

was later found abandoned behind a hobby

6:52

store . Days later on , the morning

6:54

after Christmas , a grim gift was

6:56

left on the icy grounds parallel to I-75

6:59

in Troy . The sight of her body mere

7:01

steps away from a police station speaks

7:04

volumes of the audacity of the killer

7:06

. Jill had been cruelly shot in

7:08

the face , her autopsy revealing a brief

7:10

caretaking before her calculated execution

7:13

. The year rolls into a somber January

7:15

and Christine Marie Mihelich , just

7:17

ten years old , from Berkeley , steps

7:19

out to the local convenience store and walks into

7:21

oblivion . Reports of

7:23

her absence spun a web of worry Until

7:26

nineteen days later , a mail carrier

7:29

stumbled upon her body . Christine's

7:31

final moments were spent smothered , her body

7:33

positioned to witness life from a brink

7:35

she could not partake in . Such

7:37

premature closure to such young life

7:39

engenders questions that echo through time

7:42

. Who took you , christine , and

7:44

why ? The palpable dread persisted

7:46

into spring of 77 , when

7:48

Timothy John King , only 11 , innocently

7:51

set off to a pharmacy in Birmingham . But

7:54

instead of returning with candy , timothy

7:56

was swallowed by the shadows , his

7:58

suburban story took a dark turn down

8:00

a Livonia ditch where his body was later

8:02

found . Someone had cruelly assaulted

8:05

him , yet sought to feed him his favorite

8:07

meal , kentucky fried chicken

8:09

. Moments before ending his life

8:11

, betrayal in its most sinister

8:14

form , grooming

8:20

him with kindness before extinguishing his light . As if the confirmed victims weren't enough

8:22

to bear suspicions , chain other innocent souls to this monstrous narrative

8:24

Donna , sarah , jane Allen

8:27

, kimberly King , each with their own chilling disappearances

8:29

connected by the terrifying threat of possibility

8:32

. Could they too be linked to

8:34

this ghastly series of events ? Their

8:37

stories unfinished sentences

8:39

in a book that was closed too soon . And

8:42

we cannot forget the possible victims like

8:44

Patricia Spencer , pamela Hobley

8:46

, laura Wilson , valerie Bishop , young

8:49

lives that held potential dreams

8:51

, love and hope . Questions

8:55

hover over their untimely ends . Were

8:58

they entangled in the same web of horror

9:01

that trapped the children of Oakland County ? Each

9:03

tale is a harrowing echo of stolen

9:05

innocence , each name a reminder

9:08

of the fragility of life and the ever-present

9:10

shadow of evil that can snatch away

9:12

what we hold most dear . In

9:14

the tapestry of Oakland County's darkest

9:16

chapter , these are the threads of sorrow woven

9:19

by an unknown hand , leaving behind

9:22

a pattern of pain and unanswered questions

9:24

that linger to this day . In a case

9:26

as haunting as the Oakland County child murders

9:28

, any glimmer of hope that could lead

9:30

to the identification of the perpetrator comes

9:33

from the meticulous work of profiling and

9:36

the gathering of DNA evidence that might

9:38

inch us closer to an answer . One

9:41

suspect whose shadow loomed ominously

9:43

over this case was Archibald Edward Sloan

9:45

. Known for preying on young

9:47

boys , sloan became a person

9:49

of interest when hair samples found in his 1966

9:53

Pontiac Bonneville matched hair found

9:55

on two of the victims . Although the

9:57

hairs were not Sloan's own , this discovery

9:59

suggested that the killer might have been someone within

10:01

Sloan's nefarious network or

10:04

had access to his vehicle . And then there's

10:06

Ted Lambergine , a retired autoworker

10:08

involved in a child exploitation ring

10:10

during the 70s in Detroit's Cass Corridor

10:13

. After his arrest

10:15

in 2006 , lambergine became

10:17

a prominent name when connections to the child

10:19

killer case emerged and he faced

10:22

numerous charges for his crimes . Refusal

10:25

to take a polygraph test and to accept

10:27

a plea deal that included one raised eyebrows

10:29

and suspicions . His connection

10:31

to the case , however , remains ambiguous , mired

10:34

in the fog that surrounds this decades-old

10:36

mystery , another suspect that caught

10:39

the media's attention was Chris Bush , son

10:41

of a prominent executive and himself

10:43

a suspect in child pornography crimes

10:45

. The allegations against

10:48

Bush swelled when he was found dead

10:50

under mysterious circumstances in

10:52

what was initially reported as a suicide

10:54

. In his residence , the police discovered

10:57

disturbing drawings and bloodstains , raising

11:00

the question was Bush the killer

11:02

or another red herring ? But

11:04

what really stands out in this ongoing investigation

11:07

are the elusive strands of DNA

11:09

evidence . In 2012

11:11

, forensic DNA tests were performed

11:13

on hair that served as silent witnesses to

11:15

the horror Found in Sloan's car

11:17

. These hairs matched with evidence

11:20

discovered on the victims and they came from the

11:22

same unidentified man . While

11:24

the DNA did not belong to Sloan , it

11:26

linked someone in his vicinity to the crimes

11:29

. Such evidence lights a faint

11:31

path in the dark , suggesting

11:33

connections where none were previously seen

11:35

. Despite these profiles and fragments

11:37

of evidence , the true identity of the Oakland

11:39

County child killer remains

11:41

hidden beneath layers of anonymity . The

11:44

specters of the uncaught mere

11:46

ghosts within the case files elude

11:49

capture , while the threads of DNA evidence

11:51

offer the promise , yet unfulfilled , a

11:53

challenge to the detectives and forensic

11:55

scientists who continue to pursue the answer

11:58

to an agonizing , decades-old question

12:00

who is responsible for

12:02

these heinous crimes ? In the aftermath

12:04

of such a chilling sequence of events , the

12:07

community's reaction in Oakland County was

12:09

profound and multifaceted . Parents

12:12

who , until then , had given their children the freedom

12:14

to roam felt , a crushing wave

12:16

of anxiety wash over them . What

12:19

had been routine trips to the store or to

12:21

a friend's house turned into heart-stopping worries

12:23

every time their child was out of sight . This

12:26

fear ushered in a period of hypervigilance

12:28

, where children were coached on the dangers

12:30

of stranger interaction and

12:32

taught to be more aware of their surroundings . Neighborhoods

12:35

, once echoing with the carefree laughter of playing

12:38

children , began to quiet down as

12:40

community curfews were instated and

12:42

schools held safety seminars . Flyers

12:45

with the faces of lost children plastered

12:47

across storefronts , telephone poles

12:49

and bulletin boards served as a haunting

12:51

reminder of the lurking danger . The

12:54

term stranger danger took on

12:56

a very real significance in the dialogues

12:58

between parents and their kids . Socially

13:00

, a collective sorrow bonded the community

13:03

together , birthing initiatives and

13:05

support groups to help affected families

13:07

cope with their unimaginable losses . The

13:10

emotional toll was palpable . Discussion

13:12

of the murders dominated conversations and

13:15

a shared determination to keep the remaining

13:17

children safe became evident in every aspect

13:19

of community interaction . Legally

13:23

, the staggering scope of the tragedy activated

13:25

law enforcement efforts like never before

13:27

. The

13:33

formation of a task force comprising officials from 13 communities reflected a united front

13:35

in the hunt for the predator . It was an undertaking that not only displayed the gravity of the situation

13:38

, but also served as a glimmer

13:40

of hope , a promise to the public that

13:42

every resource would be leveraged to

13:44

catch the killer . This

13:46

robust response , the societal

13:49

shifts , the legal maneuvers , underscored

13:52

the powerful ways a community comes together

13:54

during times of crisis , from

13:56

protective measures to unyielding investigative

13:59

work . The fabric of everyday life

14:01

in Oakland County was irrevocably restitched

14:03

, imbued with caution and a renewed

14:06

responsibility for the well-being of its youngest

14:08

members . The murders

14:10

didn't just take innocent lives . They

14:12

also stole peace of mind and

14:14

forever changed the heartbeat of a community

14:16

. In the mysterious web of the Oakland

14:18

County child murders , time has not

14:20

eroded the resolve for answers . It

14:23

has , in fact , forged a renewed dedication

14:25

to the quest for justice . Let's

14:29

dive into the ongoing investigative efforts

14:31

that continue to breathe life into this decades-old

14:33

case . In recent years , what seemed

14:36

like dormant embers of the investigation

14:38

were stoked back to a fiery pursuit spurred

14:41

by a combination of new evidence and

14:43

the relentless drive of the victims' families

14:45

. It's the stuff of

14:47

modern detective work that could rival any

14:49

tale of fiction . Take , for example

14:51

, the case of the gremlin Not

14:54

the creature of folklore , but an AMC gremlin

14:56

, the car that became almost synonymous

14:58

with the fate of Timothy King , an

15:01

informant speaking from the shadows of

15:03

anonymity in 2013 , reported

15:06

a blue AMC gremlin buried

15:08

in a farm field . Such a discovery

15:10

, if linked to the crimes , could illuminate

15:12

decades of darkness that have shrouded this

15:14

series of tragedies . It's advancements

15:17

in DNA technology that are adding a sharp

15:19

edge to the investigative sword . Hair

15:26

samples , once dormant evidence in a file , have come alive with stories to tell . In 2012

15:28

, forensic examiners married strands of hair found

15:31

in the back seat of a suspect's Pontiac

15:33

Bonneville to those on the bodies

15:35

of two victims , though

15:37

not belonging to the suspect himself

15:39

. These silent witnesses spoke

15:41

volumes connecting an unknown man

15:44

to the crimes , a man

15:46

who had likely come in contact with that car

15:48

and its owner . It's like something out

15:50

of CSI , but this is no television

15:52

drama . This is real life with

15:55

real ramifications . Moreover

15:57

, the victims' families , galvanized by pain

15:59

and purpose , have orchestrated a

16:01

symphony of efforts to push the investigation

16:03

forward . Barry King

16:05

, a father united with his son in despair

16:08

and determination , secured the release

16:10

of thousands of pages of investigative

16:12

reports . It's a move that not

16:14

only opened the floodgates of information

16:16

, but also revitalized public

16:19

interest and involvement in the case

16:21

. These families have not only traversed

16:23

the agonizing journey of loss , but

16:25

have turned their tribulations into a beacon for

16:27

others , ensuring that their children's

16:29

memories light up the path to justice

16:32

. The production of the documentary

16:34

Decades of Deceit by the King

16:36

Family exemplifies this new chapter

16:38

of advocacy and awareness , channeling

16:41

their grief into a resource that

16:43

helps others . Though this case continues

16:46

to be a tapestry of sorrow

16:48

and mystery , with strands of evidence

16:50

and DNA threads weaving through the years

16:52

, the dedication to uncovering

16:54

the truth has never waned . As

16:57

forensic science forges ahead and family

16:59

willpower stands undiminished , there

17:02

remains hope that answers lie on the horizon

17:04

, and so the march toward justice continues

17:06

, step by painstaking step

17:09

, in the ominous shadow of the Oakland County child

17:11

murders . What sparks the intense

17:13

interest in serial killers like the Oakland

17:15

County child killer ? Often it's

17:17

not just the heinous nature of their crimes , but

17:20

also an attempt to puzzle out the why

17:22

behind their actions . From

17:24

a psychological standpoint , we

17:26

search for patterns and explanations , and

17:28

in this endeavor we look into

17:30

varied motives and the underlying psychopathology

17:33

that can lead an individual down

17:35

such a dark path . In

17:37

our efforts to understand the predator-stalking

17:40

Oakland County , we find complexity

17:42

and ambiguity . A figure whose

17:44

identity hides in the shadows of inconclusive

17:47

DNA evidence , yet whose actions

17:49

reveal a chilling deliberateness and calculation

17:52

. This killer held his victims captive

17:54

, caring for them in some macabre

17:57

semblance of nurturing , only to end their lives

17:59

in a sudden , violent manner . Does

18:01

this duality reflect a twisted sense

18:03

of control , a need for power

18:05

? It's believed that serial killers often

18:08

experience feelings of inadequacy and powerlessness

18:10

in their daily lives . By committing

18:13

their crimes , they may seek to regain

18:15

this power , exerting ultimate

18:17

control over life and death . The

18:19

careful disposal of the victims' bodies

18:22

where they could be seen suggests

18:24

not just a longing for control , but

18:26

perhaps a desire to taunt the public

18:28

or authorities , a dark

18:30

bid for recognition in a sick game

18:32

of cat and mouse . In

18:35

the case of the Oakland County child killer

18:37

, there's also an eerie level of

18:39

care exhibited towards the victims before

18:41

their deaths . There's also an eerie level

18:43

of care exhibited towards the victims before their deaths , feeding them , cleaning

18:45

them , even providing favorite foods . Does this suggest

18:47

a misshapen form of attachment , a

18:49

perverse nurturing instinct gone awry

18:51

? Or is it another method of control

18:53

, keeping the victims compliant

18:56

in their final moments of life ? While

18:58

we may never fully understand the psychological dimensions

19:00

that define such killers , especially

19:03

when they remain unidentified , it's

19:05

essential to explore these narratives . They

19:08

unfold like a grim , cautionary tale

19:10

, warning us of what can lurk within

19:12

the human psyche . Each

19:19

clue and behavior is a piece of the puzzle offering insights into the twisted minds

19:21

. We hope to prevent from creating more victims in the future . As we come closer to the end

19:23

of today's harrowing journey through the dark corridors

19:25

of the Oakland County child murders , it

19:28

strikes a chord , doesn't it ? The

19:30

silence of questions unanswered , the

19:32

echo of stories untold it's

19:35

the kind of silence that speaks volumes . This

19:37

is where we , as a true crime community , step

19:39

in your insights , your theories

19:41

, your voice . It has power . It's

19:44

vital that we share in this search for truth

19:46

and understanding . Together we're

19:49

stronger . So , in

19:51

the spirit of that unity , I want to extend an

19:53

invitation to you all . What are

19:55

your thoughts on the case we've just explored

19:57

? Any particular detail that stuck

19:59

with you or a profile that perhaps sounded alarm

20:02

bells in your mind ? Maybe there's

20:04

a case you've heard of a cold mystery

20:06

lurking in the back of your own hometown archives

20:08

that needs the light shined upon it ? We're

20:11

listening and we want to hear from you . Slide

20:13

into the comments , drop us a message or email

20:15

us with your suggestions for future episodes

20:18

. Each case we dive into brings

20:20

us together and every story we share

20:22

keeps the conversation going and

20:24

who knows , the next episode might

20:27

just be the one you've been waiting for . So

20:29

keep the suggestions coming and let's keep building

20:31

this incredible community of detectives

20:33

, one story at a time . Together

20:36

, let's unlock the mysteries of the real crime

20:39

diary . And here we are at the end of

20:41

another journey through the dark pages of the real crime diary . And here we

20:43

are at the end of another journey through the dark pages of the real crime diary . In the untold

20:45

chapters of the Oakland County child murders

20:47

, the questions loom larger than

20:49

the answers . A community still haunted

20:52

, a mystery unsolved and

20:54

justice remaining elusive for the stolen

20:56

innocence . Despite the relentless

20:58

march of time , this case refuses to

21:00

fade into the shadows of the past . It's

21:03

a chilling reminder that sometimes evil

21:05

walks unchallenged and the truth

21:08

can be as elusive as a wisp of smoke

21:10

. As we sign off , I leave you with

21:12

this challenge . If the Oakland County

21:14

child killer was indeed among us , aware

21:17

and watching , what do you think kept them

21:19

hidden in plain sight for so long ? Could

21:21

a key detail still be lurking unnoticed

21:24

in the vast tapestry of collected evidence and

21:26

testimonies ? Share your thoughts and theories

21:28

in the comments below . Join the conversation

21:31

that could perhaps one day light a path to resolution

21:34

. Subscribe for more investigations

21:36

hit . Like to honor the memories of these

21:38

lost souls and share to keep

21:40

their stories alive and always

21:42

remember in the Real Crime Diary . Every

21:44

one of you is a vital part of our quest for the truth

21:47

. Until next time , stay vigilant

21:49

and keep the conversation going .