The views and opinions expressed in Cold and Missing are exclusively those of the hosts. All parties mentioned are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Cold and Missing also contains adult themes and languages. Listener discretion is advised. I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin -Sulkowski. And I'm your co -host, Eli Sulkowski. And this is Cold and Missing, where we cover cold cases and missing person cases. Hello, everyone,
and welcome back to Cold and Missing. I'm your host, Ali, and it will just be me coming to you this week. I actually have to travel for my day job, so I am doing some traveling, some work travel this week, and Eli and I are not together this week, and I'm terribly sad and I miss him so much, but I just wanted to still bring you another episode this week. Right at the top, I just wanted to say thank you again to everyone who's been able to leave us reviews
recently or recommend us. I was actually on Reddit and it was like somebody asking for a recommendation of podcast and somebody on there was like, Cold and Missing is my favorite in the comment section. And I was like really blown away by that. Thank you to whoever that was. I'm not going to say their Reddit username here, but thank you for mentioning us. Like, it just meant a lot to me. I was like, this is really cool that someone's
doing that. So thank you if you're recommending us, telling your friends, family that enjoy True Crime about our podcast. I just really appreciate it. So thank you for reviewing. Thank you for recommending us to people. It really helps get these cases out there, which is, you know, the whole mission here at Cold and Missing. But with that said, I think we should just go ahead and get into this week's episode. We are on a cold
case this week, and this is episode 146. And just as a bit of a content warning at the top, this case does involve a young person. Today, we are talking about the cold case of Levi Frady, and this takes place in Forsyth County, Georgia, in October of 1997. But first, a little bit about Levi. Levi was just 11 years old in October of 1997. He lived with his mother, Marilyn, and his twin sister, Lacey, on Burris Mill Road, a quiet rural stretch of Forsyth County, Georgia.
Levi loved the country and loved living in such a rural environment. He loved spending time outdoors. Levi's parents were separated, but Levi and his sister still saw their dad quite often and thought the world of him. Levi loved exploring the woods near his home, riding his beloved red and black bicycle to visit friends, and enjoyed shooting his BB gun in the open fields. He was curious, adventurous, and full of life. His grandfather, Lamar Frady, once said, That bicycle up there
was his best friend. That's all he had. Levi loved pizza, his grandmother's pancakes, fishing, roller coasters, and was teaching himself to play his grandmother's piano. He was scared of the dark. That Halloween, he wanted to be G .I. Joe. Those who knew Levi remembered his smile and energy. His children's minister, Joseph Hamley, described him as, quote, he could bring a smile to your heart very easily. And now a timeline of events. Wednesday, October 22nd, 1997. This
was a pretty notable day. It was the fifth day of the World Series. Levi had a regular day at school, and after school, at around 4 .15, he left home on his bike to go to his friend Roman's house. The two of them had planned to do their homework together. Levi was expected to be home at 6 .30 in time for dinner. According to some reports, Levi does call home at one point. His mom was in the bathtub, so his twin sister picked
up. Levi asked his sister to ask their mom if it would be okay if he stayed for dinner with a different friend. Him and Roman were going to go to a third friend's house for dinner. Marilyn told Lacey to tell Levi to come home. When 6 .30 rolled around, Levi's curfew, he didn't walk through the front door. At first, his mother and sister weren't worried. He had been late before. He had pushed that 6 .30 time more than once. However, by 7, they started to worry a
little bit. The minutes kept ticking by. Finally... A little bit after 7, Marilyn and Lacey decided to go out and get Levi and bring him home for dinner. While they're out, Lacey was the first to spot Levi's bike. It was lying in a ditch on Little Mill Road, about a mile from their home. The kickstand was folded up, and the tires were slightly low, but that was normal for Levi's bike. He liked a softer landing when he went
off of a ramp. According to Lacey, Her mother didn't really have a reaction when they found the bike. We do know that Marilyn and Lacey go to Roman's house at about 7 .15. Roman tells them that Levi had left around 7. Roman tells them that he had watched his friend pedal off down Crow Road. If Levi had taken Crow Road, it would have been the longer route home. However, Levi usually took the longer route. There were some big barking dogs on the shorter way that
he liked to avoid. Marilyn decides to try the third friend's house, the friend that Levi wanted to have dinner with. She thought that maybe he went to go have dinner anyway, even though she had said no. When Marilyn arrives at the house, she knocks on the door and waits, but nobody comes and answers the door. She assumes that the family must have gone out for dinner and taken Levi with them. With that thought, she
turns around and takes her and Lacey home. Marilyn stays up waiting, but eventually she does fall asleep. In the early hours of Thursday, October 23rd, Marilyn wakes up around 2 a .m. She realizes that Levi has not come home. She went back out. She goes back to that third friend's house and knocks on the door. But at that early hour, nobody answers. Marilyn thinks that everyone must be inside and asleep. She assumes that her son is also safe inside the home, sleeping. However,
the morning didn't bring any signs of Levi. He didn't come home, and he didn't show up for school. By 8 .30 a .m., Marilyn decides to call the police and report him missing. Very quickly, about 100 officers and volunteers begin searching the area around Levi's home and where the bike was found. They really focus on where the bike was found first, spanning out from that area. For seven hours, they combed thick brush and undergrowth, but found no clues of where Levi might be. Until
around 2 .30 that afternoon. At around 2 .30, Three hunters in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, which was about 15 miles from where Levi was last seen, they make a devastating discovery. They find Levi. He is still fully clothed. He's laying face up, but a portion of his upper body had been submerged in water that had gathered in a pit. About 20 feet away from the body was a large pool of blood, and a few feet from there
was Levi's backpack. The hunters head out of the woods and flag down a police car to report the findings as quickly as they can. Police halt the search for Levi and head over to the woods. Police at first are not able to determine a cause of death, so they decide to wait on an autopsy before announcing anything officially. They start searching that wooded area for clues. We do know that they are able to collect some evidence.
For instance, we do know that they are able to create a cast of tire tracks found in that area. The day after finding Levi's body, Friday, October 24th, his autopsy is conducted. He had been fatally shot. But police don't release details at this time. They don't say how many times he had been shot or where. Preliminary autopsy results showed no signs of sexual assault. Ballistic experts began working to identify the type of firearm that was used, but again, police refused to disclose
specifics. However, after the autopsy, authorities emphasized that Levi's death was not an accident. It was a homicide. The rural community was reeling. Crimes against children simply did not happen in this area. Parents no longer let children walk alone from bus stops, and neighbors kept a vigilant eye on one another. Marilyn was devastated. But this was not the first person she had lost
in this way. Her father had been shot and killed 15 years earlier, though police confirmed that there was no connection between these two cases. On Saturday, October 25th, police get to work interviewing families, friends, and neighbors. Police consider everyone a suspect but truly believe that Levi's killer was known to him because statistically, that is the most likely scenario. We know that Marilyn is interviewed for hours and she's given a polygraph test at some point.
In addition, police are also wanting to question Levi's dad, Milton. However, Milton was laying low. He had an outstanding warrant for burglary charges from a few years before Levi's murder, so he was trying to avoid the police at this time. On Sunday, October 26, just three days after his body was found, Levi is laid to rest. Hundreds show up to pay respects to the little boy, so much so that they're spilling out of
the church and into the lobby and hallways. Police are at the funeral, and they're looking for Milton to question him. However, Milton skips his son's funeral out of fear of the police. On Monday, October 27th, this is the day after the funeral, and police are still very tight -lipped about specifics in this case. It does seem like they were able to determine what kind of gun was used, but they don't give us any details. No caliber.
No casings, no bullet type, nothing. We don't have any details about what type of gun was used. Police continue to interview family, friends, and neighbors, but they keep running into dead ends. No one is emerging as a suspect at this point. On Wednesday, October 29th, just shy of a week of Levi's murder, and Milton turns himself in to police. Police question him for hours, and ultimately, they rule him out as a suspect
in his son's murder. However, they do arrest him on the outstanding warrant and take him to jail. We also know on this day that police are desperate for a lead or a break in the case. They set up roadblocks near where Levi's bike was found and stop every car that passes by. They ask every driver where they were on the night that Levi was murdered and compare tires to the tire track treads that they were able to get from the crime scene. However, nothing
comes of this. We do know that police were able to get other evidence. They mentioned that all of the evidence collected is a priority at the state lab. However, we have no details on what kind of evidence was collected or if there were any results, such as DNA, that was collected as a result of the testing. On Halloween that year, the mood is somber in Forsyth County. Levi was not able to go as the G .I. Joe he wanted to, and parents keep an eye on all of the trick
-or -treaters that evening. Police continued the investigation. Police say at about a week that they have interviewed over 200 people, but they still don't have any leads or suspects in the case. Investigators explored the possibility that Levi's murder was retaliation against his father due to past criminal involvement, but there was no strong evidence suggesting this.
On November 5, 1997, two weeks since the murder, police released sketches of two men they hoped would come forward so that way they could talk to them. One of the men does end up coming forward and police question him and he gives some information to police and police run it down. Nothing really comes out of that. The man is ruled out as, you know, any person of interest or suspect in the case and he doesn't have anything to add that
helps Levi's case. The other man, according to police, was seen in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area around the time of Levi's murder. He's described as a white male. He would have been around 45 to 55 years old. He was clean -shaven and was around 6 foot. Slim build with white or gray hair. The man was driving a 1980 to 1985 medium blue Toyota two -wheel drive pickup truck with a white camper shell over the bed
of the truck. To date, police have never been able to find this man to talk to him about Levi's case. On November 9th, police confirm that they believe that Levi was abducted. They believe Levi had been taken off of his bike and driven to the woods and then he was killed in the woods. The family tell media that they had been told that Levi was shot in the head. The next update comes on December 20th, 1997, so this would be
nearly two months after Levi's murder. His family and friends are faced with the first holiday without him. Investigators do believe that Levi got into the car voluntarily. They don't think that he was forced off of his bike and into the car. Therefore, police think that Levi recognized the person driving the car. But beyond that, they don't really have a lead. Levi's family thinks this is preposterous. They don't think that anyone in Levi's life would do this to the
little boy. On January 9th, 1998, So it's been over two months since Levi's murder, and police release another sketch of another person that they would like to talk to. According to police, around 6 .30, a witness saw a man walking along Little Mill Road the day that Levi was abducted. He was a white male in his late 50s with a scruffy gray beard. He was wearing a faded blue baseball cap and walked with a stoop. Police believe that
he could be the key to unlocking the case. They think this man must have seen who took Levi, since Levi's bike was found on Little Mill Road. In June of 1998, so it's been nine months since Levi's murder, and Marilyn talks with the media for the first time. She says that everything that she kind of knows about Levi's case, she learned through the questions that police gave her during the polygraph test. For example, she says the police would ask her, Did you know that
Levi was shot three times? Because of this, she believes that her son was shot three times. She tells the media she believes it's twice in the chest and once in the head, based off of the questions that police had asked her. However, really after this, the case appears to really go cold for years. The first anniversary in October of 1998 comes and goes without any new information. In October of 1999, so that's the two -year anniversary,
the GBI is still working on the case. But they say that it is one of the rarest cases they've ever had. GBI profiler Jim Hallman says, quote, We've never had another case in the country where a child was taken and murdered for no apparent reason. It's as if somebody rode down the road and spirited him away. In April of 2000, a task force is created following a petition from over 2 ,000 local residents asking for closure in Levi's case. The task force does seem to get
together and work on Levi's case. They go over all the information they have, but the GBI isn't involved in the task force. They're invited, but they decide not to participate. The task force is made up of Forsyth and Dawson County police. However, it doesn't appear that the task force really finds any new information. In 2002, it's been five years since Levi's murder, and Georgia implemented an Amber Alert system named in Levi's honor. It's called Levi's Call in Georgia.
Levi's Call has gone on to recover many abducted children in Georgia, which is amazing. In 2017, so that's 20 years since Levi was murdered. And his mother reflected, quote, There's still nothing after all this time. I've heard so many rumors. I know that somebody knows. It has to have been more than one person that knows. To me, it's just mind -boggling. His twin sister, Lacey, now has a son older than Levi ever was. But the son brings so much joy to the family. But that
is truly all we know about Levi's murder. So if you know anything about the murder of Levi Frady in October of 1997, please call the Georgia Bureau of Investigation tip line at 1 -800 -587 -8471. So that is the case of Levi Frady. When I first read about Levi's case, the first thing that I... I really took note of was that he was a twin. You know, in so many cases that we cover, most of them, you know, our victims or the people
missing, they do have siblings. You know, that's very common, but very few of them have twins. And for Levi to have a twin sister, something about that bond and this tragedy happening. Like that really devastated me in a way that like truly I'll never understand. I am not a twin. I don't know what that bond is like. But seeing that bond, you know, in my friends who are twins is always something that is very different than any other sibling relationship that I've encountered.
And, you know, my heart just really, really goes out to. Of course, Levi's family, but especially his twin sister and just the heartache that the family must feel, you know, and the juxtaposition that must happen around, you know, birthdays. Like, of course, it's such a sad day because it's a year that Levi's not getting, but then you want to celebrate for, you know, the year that his sister is getting. I can't even imagine
what that family has gone through. And truly, my heart goes out to them and their family and their healing. You know, I think ultimately in this case is we need some answers. There's no moving on from murder cases. There's no closing a door. You know, that's something I've heard
again and again from families. minds around it help the community this case is mind -boggling I think his mother said that mind -boggling like and it is it's why I mean the biggest question the overarching question here is just why was Levi killed what happened there you know that that quote from the GBI profiler about You know, there's no other case where a child has been murdered without motive. And, you know, I'm trying to think of one to point to differently, but
it's like I really can't. And, you know, when children are murdered, typically we can kind of see a little bit of the motive there. But in Levi's case, there's really no motive. You know, we know he was not sexually assaulted. It doesn't seem like he was robbed. His backpack was there, and I don't think he had anything. truly of value on him, you know, maybe besides
his bike, which was abandoned. You know, when I was researching this, I thought, you know, maybe was he hit by a car and someone panicked, but his bike didn't seem to have any damage to it. None that's reported. And there are even pictures of police, you know, collecting the bike as evidence. And, you know, there's no bent rims. It's fine. It's a perfectly working bike.
I don't think that's happening. And then I also thought, could this have been an accident where, you know, we know this is a more rural area, maybe with somebody firing their gun off, or we do know that deer hunting season was about to start. So, you know, could it have been, could he have been riding past woods and somebody just shot and accidentally hit him, but then with him being shot three times? That's not an accident. That's somebody pulling the trigger three times
on an 11 -year -old. So why? Why get him in a car? Why drive him, you know, 15, 20 miles away to the woods and then shoot him? What? Like, you know, when you just break it down, that's simply of just what happened. What? Why? You know, there's no world where this 11 -year -old boy was, like, a threat to anybody, you know,
where somebody would fear their life. You know, it's just every, like, time I try to wrap my mind around why somebody would do this to a little boy, I just seem to get, like, further and further away from what happened because it's just so absurd. Like, what happens? Clearly, I'm... I'm flabbergasted by this. I just really, I cannot get over the lack of motive and police truly don't seem to have a motive here. It leaves me with so many questions, just so many questions
in his case. I do wonder if in, you know, the stacks and stacks of files that have been made on this case, which is something that's talked about again and again is, you know, how many filing cabinets full. All of those interviews, did police actually talk to the killer? And, you know, they just answered the questions correctly to not really raise suspicion and were able to just walk out of the police department without
raising an eyebrow? I just have to think that, like, in this small of a community, that if you're casting that wide of a net and talking to, you know, So many people, I believe it's well over 200 people they talked to. You would think that they would have crossed paths with the killer. So I wonder if you just go back and really get into those details and track everything you can. Would there be some discrepancies that could maybe give us some clues as to who did this and
why they would do this? If I could ask one question to police, so if I just got one, I think I would just want to know what evidence they collected in this case. Like, what were they able to send for testing? And I guess it's a two -parter question, and were they ever able to get DNA? I'd be really interested if we had any DNA in this case. You know, 1997, it's just like kind of at that beginning of DNA collection and using it to solve... murders
and cases. But I just feel like there's opportunity for DNA. Specifically, my mind keeps going back to the backpack that was found at the crime scene. I have questions around that. And some of them are very mundane, like, you know, just was everything accounted for in the backpack? Like, was all of the homework there? You know, did they have Roman? take a look at the backpack and see if,
you know, anything was missing. Um, you know, was there a trophy taken, you know, even something as like that, like was anything missing, even if it wasn't something of note, like, you know, maybe a book or a homework or a pencil case, you know, just was anything taken that the killer might have taken as a trophy, as a personal memento. Um, but yeah, my mind keeps coming back to that backpack and just I'm wondering, like, could that be a source of DNA? Like, was it handled
by the killer? Did they throw it out of, you know, their car? Did they grab it, you know, to grab Levi? I don't know why the backpack comes so much into, you know, the front of my mind. I think it's because it's one of the few things we actually have in this case. I think that's why I kind of cling to it. And then another thing I would just want to know is, What kind of gun was used? And I'm really surprised they didn't
at least say the caliber at the time. You know, in rural communities, people tend to have guns and they tend to have more than one gun. But, you know, listing out what kind of, you know, millimeter maybe was used, that could be information that someone might recognize. You know, if it's a more unique thing, like a .44 caliber, not a... Not every person has those, so maybe that
limits it a little bit. Yeah, I just, I really wonder just what evidence we have, like what are the solid facts we have in this case, just because there's so many questions out there. For me, personally, I have so many questions in this case. But I do hope that in all the evidence that was collected, that there was something that maybe, if not tested then, we can test now. This case does feel solvable. You know, it wasn't
that long ago. It was in 1997. And it was such a unique crime to this area that I think a lot of people really remember it. And I think they remember details about their life at that time and their community at that time. So I really hope that we are able to get some answers in this case for... first and foremost for Levi's family, but also for this community that got rocked by a child's murder, a very senseless, all child murders are senseless. There's no reason
a child's life should ever be taken. But like in Levi's case, it's like, this is completely senseless. We have no sense. You know, we have nothing to point to, to even be like, that is why they did. Like, it's just, it's mind boggling. To quote his mom again, mind -boggling. But yeah, I would really love to see justice in this case, and I would just love to have someone answer for what they did and to be held accountable.
So again, if you know anything about the murder of Levi Frady in October of 1997, please call the Georgia Bureau of Investigation tip line at 1 -800 -587 - 8471. We will have pictures of Levi up on our Instagram at coldandmissing. And we'll also have those suspect, not suspect, but the witness sketches. I can't believe I didn't talk about this in the wrap -up portion. But yeah, the witness sketches. We will have that
on our Instagram too. These two men who were seen in... very important area so near where the bike was abandoned and then where near where Levi's body was found these two men were seen we have some really great sketches of what these men would have looked like in 1997 so somebody should be able to recognize them one man recognized himself from the sketches and like came forward with whatever information he had and it wasn't a lot but Somebody should be able to recognize
these people, family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances. Somebody knows them. So we will have that up on our Instagram too. And hopefully somebody recognized them and is able to call police and they're able to connect. And we're able to get some information in this case and get answers for Levi. But we will have pictures of Levi, those witness sketches. was also able to find a picture of his bike. So we'll put that up as
well at our Instagram, at coldandmissing. If you're not following us, please do give us a follow. We always update if we ever have to miss a week. We always put it on our Instagram. So follow us there for updates in the case. And then we are always posting just other true crime things that are happening. So active missing person cases or cold cases that are getting solved, all that stuff. So it's a great resource if you
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Thank you so much for listening to Cold and Missing. I'm your host, Ali. Have a good week and stay safe, y 'all.