Hell and Gone Murder Line: Christina Pipkin Part 2 (Archive Episode)

inherent in cold cases. We remind listeners that everyone has presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing in the podcast is intended to state or imply that anyone who has not been convicted of a crime is guilty of any wrongdoing. Thanks for listening.

it wasn't the answer. They were hoping for. Three days later, on May seventh, nineteen ninety one, Christina Pipkin's body was found floating in cow Lake Ditch. Almost twenty three years later, this case is still unsolved.

committing this horrific. Crime she is, clear if he is the right, person he needs to be, charged and if it's someone, else we need to figure out who they are and where they. Are either way charging a suspect and then having those charges fall apart and seeing the person you believe is guilty. Released As i've said for a long, time this should not be a stopping.

can who isn't dead and is willing to. Talk we've come here To East arkansas to see if there is anyone around who was there on the Day christina went. Missing this could be our only hope for getting new.

where she was. Found we also learned from the case file that Fawm Me malick did the autopsy because one of the investigators put a report.

information that we get about the autopsy at face. Value Doctor malik indicated there was obvious. Decomposition we knew she had been in the water for three. Days he also said there were no signs of. Strangulation he said he HAD x Rayed christina's body from the outside and from the. Inside he said he could find no stab, wounds no obvious cuts of, bruises and there was water and mud found In christina's, stomach water that matched the water from the.

Ditch Doctor malik also found pickles and carrots In christina's. Stomach we know That christina ate pot pie for lunch that. Day we also know That Elsie, lyles her next door neighbor and sometimes a, babysitter gave her a pickle as a snack at around four. Pm the report, reads Quote Doctor malik was emphatic he could find no other cause

of death other than drowning end. Quote but it also says when given the supposition that one could smother an individual to the point of unconscious and then throw that person into the, river Doctor mallek could make no comment regarding,

this but said that this was the. Possibility in other, words we can't tell from the limited information we have Whether christina fell into the water on her own or was thrown in, there or whether she was conscious at the, time but we can rule out the rumor That christina was drowned at home and then taken out to that site where she was dumped by the Way christina's, Father, james and everyone else in her family cooperated completely with.

Investigators James pipkin took and passed a light detector test that's part of the case, file and he was cleared by law. ENFORCEMENT i cannot imagine the pain of losing a child and then after that having people in town either think that you were involved somehow or that you were hiding. Something Plus james had to go through the pain of being asked about his marital problems issues he

had had previously with his Wife. Frieda that must have also been a. Nightmare but, unfortunately when law enforcement is looking through someone's pattern of, life they have to know the history for, you the family. Members it's all part of solving the. Puzzle there have been some other rumors in this town that refuse to, die so we need to check them out so we can figure out what to investigate further and what else to rule. Out we went to the place Where christina and her family lived

On Doughty. Street, okay so this was The bearcat right where apparently everyone in town went that.

for the. House then they went To Cherry, valley a town about fifteen miles east Of Hickory. Ridge they looked at the, car a Blue mustang that was parked out in the seller's. Yard they took a quick look at the, car asked about the, price and left there around one.

Pm at some point they stopped At gaskin's grocery store In vandaal they bought some pork, rinds and Apparently christina had a few of the pork skins on the ride, home but she didn't really eat a lot of them because apparently they were a little bit pink and she didn't love the. Taste the family got back, Home adam And james were hanging out WATCHING. Tv christina played with one Of frida's old makeup compacts that she had found lying. Around james was programming THE vcr to tape the Movie

The hunt For Red october that was airing that. Night at some, Point christina asked her parents if she could go door to door to sell her. Jewelry she headed out at around four thirty or FIVE. Pm NOW i should say that what's in the case file differs from what we've read in the, newspapers because in the newspapers it said she asked her, Dad james if she could go. Out he said no at, first then said, okay but

you have to be home before. Dark but in the case, File james said he believed That christina had asked her mother if she could go sell, jewelry though he does mention the kids knew not to cross over to the other side of the railroad. Tracks at around seven or seven thirty, Pm frida realized she still needed a few things from the. Store she ran up to The Bearcat, grocery a couple of blocks from their. House the Bear cat was next to the only bank in, Town Cross County.

QUOTE i had a gut feeling something was not. Right this is a mother's. CONCERN i Sent adam out to Find. Christina when he came back and said he couldn't find, HER i knew something was wrong with my baby.

went back home to see if anyone had found. Her after my brother in law got to the, house we went out. SEARCHING i kept hoping she would show. UP i did not believe this was. HAPPENING i wondered what happened to? Her where could she? Be as we drove around looking for, HER i was hoping to see her. WALKING i, thought if she could just get, AWAY i might see her on the. Road On sunday we went searching some. MORE i didn't eat BECAUSE i couldn't, eat not knowing if my baby girl had anything to. EAT

i was wondering how she was being. Treated was she?

the same thing with a murder. Investigation we have all these people who are present at The bearcat convenience store and the bank that. Afternoon each of them saw a small slice Of christina's, day and we really need to put all those multiple versions. Together, now, admittedly there's a separate, problem which is that memory itself changes over, time even

if you have great, recall but we'll get to that. Later, first we need to get as many points of view as possible to try and fill in some of these holes on the. Timeline so let's go back To may, fourth nineteen ninety. One christina is. Missing over the next few, days police started talking to, people and as happens often

in small, town a few names got thrown. Around we noticed something else in the case file that during this, time quite a few people also mentioned they had seen a blue car with a man driving, it one that was in the bank parking lot and hanging around town in general around the time When christina went. Missing that what we were about to find out was that people had a lot of different descriptions of exactly what that

man and that vehicle looked. Like we measured the distance from Where christina was last seen to where she was. Found it was around three and a half, miles SO i think police were. Right she was almost certainly driven to that. Location so who drove her? There in a town this, small it seems like somebody would have to

have seen. Something we need to find that, Car we need to explore all of those, suspects figure out exactly where everyone was on the Day christina went, missing and also find out where this rumor about a blu carr. Started one person the police talked to was The long, Family they live right By christina's house at two eighty Nine Doty. Street Michael, long who was twenty six at the, time said that he was home That saturday afternoon at

around five. Pm he Said christina stopped by the house looking for his little, sister who was Ten christina's, age presumably to go door to door jewelry selling with. Her his sister wasn't, home So christina. Left Michael satti next Saw christina walking back south Down Third. Street then he saw her turn west On Laurel street toward The bearcat's door and the. Bank michael told police that about five minutes After christina, left he went outside to check a

ditch for. Snakes, then he said he walked to The bearcat for some. Cigarettes when he came, out he Saw christina walking behind the alley At Cross County. Bank at that, Point michael said she was headed. North this would have been at around five thirty. Pm after, That michael said he didn't see her. Again another family that lived next to The pipkins were The, Moors pat And. Connie they had a blue car registered to, them a nineteen seventy

Three Ford. Maverick on the Day christina went, missing two friends of, Theirs Ricky dawson And james The, seers who were eighteen and twenty at the, time came by the house at around four. Thirty they were there to pick Up ricky's, Girlfriend Jenna algood and her Friend April, jones who were hanging out at the. Moorhouse, Ricky, james and the two young women left for a night out on the town And. Win but before they, Left ricky said he remembered Seeing christina outside on her.

Was saturday. Night people were having, barbecues making, plans going on, dates the sun was going down and the night was just. Starting BUT i want to go back to the timeline and mention a couple of other people who told police they noticed things that were slightly out of the ordinary Because, obviously any event can have huge significance when someone goes. Missing On may, seventh police went to The Hickory Ridge

Elementary school and they interviewed several. Children they asked about a stranger that the kids had seen around the time When christina, disappeared but their descriptions were completely. Inconsistent the police report said there were numerous inconsistencies in the kid's stories and so because of, that the officer could not

follow through on completing a composite. Drawing this doesn't surprise me because by the time those kids were, interviewed it had been several days and, unfortunately in my, opinion what happened probably was that the kids talked to each other over the, weekend so their stories took on elements of each.

assist but that the jurisdiction would stay In Cross. County Jackson county did question some, people mainly guys who were arrested for other things like, dwi's but police really seemed to have pretty much zero leads and not much to go. On there was another, family The. Earls they lived On Fourth, street close To christina's. House Kim earles said that On saturday, night just after, midnight she saw a young man in a blue, car which she described as a late Model

transam Or. Camaro she said it had one of those novelty break lights that glowed around the license plate when you put on the. Brakes she said she saw that, car which seems like it would be pretty memorable at a McDonald's and. Win she said the guy driving it was dark complexion with tan, skin medium, bill dark, eyebrows

and that that person was around six foot. Two other people said there was a guy Named James hannah who had a car like, that but when police showed a picture Of James hannah to the, girls they said they Knew James hannah and this was not him driving the. Car they described the driver as dirty, looking and said that that person was a stranger to. Them kim said that she had seen that same, man the one driving the blue car with the light up, brakes around town

for the past few. Months she said that this mystery guy had been parked near the bank On. Saturday her and her Sister angela said that they believed that this person had followed them to the tanning. Bed sharon And Ricky holloman had a daughter who was friends With. Christina sharon was another person who said she saw a blue car that. Day she said it was sportsy looking and had primer or rest spots on, it and that it was speeding on the side streets Of Hickory ridge On saturday.

Afternoon she described the driver as clean, shaven with short hair and chubby. Cheeks she said that she had seen that same car several times a, week going over to what she thought was The pipkin. Residence sharon And ricky had a, daughter and their daughter was a friend Of. Christina's she actually Saw christina on the afternoon that she, disappeared and she said she saw her with a young boy that had gone to school With. Christina the little girl said she didn't know the boy's.

christina or the. Car the little girl didn't know what time this, was but her mother said they had only gotten back to their house at around seven, pm so it would have had to have been a little bit after. That if that's, true then this little girl may have been the last person in the case for at least to have Seen christina. Alive Christina pipkin's math teacher also said she Saw christina outside of the Bear cat grocery that,

afternoon and she said That christina was. Barefoot this seems to solve another mystery because remember we mentioned That christina's mother said she was wearing white sandals on the day she went, missing but her sandals were not found with her. Body but it seems Like christina had already ditched her sandals because she was walking around that parking lot, Barefoot so it seems less likely that her killer took them or that they slipped off during some kind of. STRUGGLE

i still, wonder, though where are the? Sandals but in my, mind if she was, barefoot that means it's even less likely she would have made that over three mile walk out to the area where she was. Found another name that was mentioned in the case file early on Was

Charles Cotton. Junior Charles Cotton junior has a criminal, record including charges for leude acts against a. Child, Now Charles cotton would later tell a journalist In, Juno, alaska where he was, living that that was all, mistake that what happened was a child had walked in on him and either his wife or girlfriend having sex on a, couch that the whole thing was blown out of. Proportion that's what a lot of sex offenders, say and the fact of the matter Is Charles cotton did have a lengthy

criminal record at the time When christina went. Missing Charles cotton was. Married according to his, Wife Rebecca, cotton who was twenty one years old at the, time the couple was living a little bit out of, town but we've also been told by people close To christina's family That Charles cotton was living right next. Door we're still trying to figure out his exact location and movements at the.

Time we do know That Charles cotton was introduced To christina's, Father, james by their next door, Neighbor Pat, Moore so as far AS i can, Tell Charles cotton did spend some time at the. Moorhouse that could potentially be why some people believe That charles was living next. Door these guys all had completely different physical. Descriptions Robbie tubbs was white with tan skin and dark wavy hair that went down toward his. Shoulders Charles cotton had blue eyes and blonde.

Hair we mentioned in the last episode that after hair testing and the, trial the charges Against Robbie tubbs were. Dropped he walked away a free. Man his last known address is In Sulfur, Spring, texas.

structure that had become run down over the. Year in twenty, sixteen he took that dilapidated building that had become a hangout for people doing drugs and other illegal things and said he was going to turn it. Around at one, point he actually made local news as someone who had a criminal record but was now a productive member of. Society charles told The Juno empire during that, interview QUOTE i come in and started getting the riff raph, out

started getting the thieves and the drugs. OUT i run them the hell, off And i'd do it any day of the week.

apparently no heat or hot. Water they Slapped charles with a, fine which he didn't. Pay at some point they condemned the. Building the city evacuated, it But charles and his tenants refused to. Leave it turned out that he was selling drugs. Again at some, point he had relapsed and gone from

being a program for recovering addicts to a drug. Den charles was hit with a string of charges for distributing, methamphetamine and then On september twenty, seventh twenty, seventeen his, Wife Penny, cotton was found dead in a hotel room In, Morris. Alaska When Penny cotton was found, dead she had been shot in the. Head her death was ruled a, suicide but her family back In arkansas told reporters at The Mid south they did not believe That penny would take

her own. Life the medical examiner did not order an, autopsy But penny's family got some photos and they shared those photos Of penny's body with local. Media these photos apparently Showed penny had been shot in the left side of the, head But penny's family pointed out she's right, handed so to them that seemed to be. Impossible in twenty, Seventeen charles was hit with charges of distributing methamphetamine and

was arrested by THE. Fbi in twenty, Nineteen Charles Cotton junior and his, Son ricky Staple lisk were both sentenced for drug. Charges charles got ten years in, Prison ricky got, five And charles is in prison. Today there was a comment On penny's. Obituary it referred to her as being gangster and to her Helping charles with his. Business and it was written by someone who had been in that building With penny And, charles so Obviously penny knew a

lot about What charles was getting up. To could this have motivated someone connected to him to take her? Life Charles Cotton junior may have been involved in other legal, activities but what About Christina. Pipkin let's look At Charles cotton's connection to The pipkin. Family James pipkin told investigators that he was introduced To Charles cotton through his Neighbor Pat, moore but that Before christina went, missing he had never

seen or spoken To charles in his. Life Charles cotton said that on the Day christina, disappeared he was fishing with a friend of his from around one thirty to five thirty at an area Called Bird eye Near Cherry, valley a small town a few miles From Hickory. Ridge Apparently charles did stop by The bearcat grocery store at

some point On. Saturday, now he said he didn't remember doing, that but a friend of his saw him there and he mentions that in his discussion with, investigators he said that after he was finished, fishing he went home and WATCHED tv with his, Wife, rebecca and the rest of his. Family at around ten, thirty he, said a friend of his, Name Neil, long came by and asked if anyone had Seen Christina. Pipkin that's when he said he found Out

christine was. Missing charles said at that point he went out and borrowed a friend's three wheeler and started searching for. Her by the, Way charles drove a seventy four light Blue Dodge charger at the, time yet another blue.

out looking For christina and missed his. Chance So James pipkin felt sorry for him and gave him the, money, which of Course James pipkin never got. Back, now this could have been totally. Innocuous this was a big. Story this is a local. Girl but The pipkin family had only lived In Hickory ridge for about four months at that. Point Charles cotton and some other people seemed to be getting very close to the family in that. TIME i wondered about, this And amy AND i made a few more.

Stops we were looking for old newspapers and we found one from the week When christina's body was. Found we were shocked when we Saw christina's obituary and there was a detail.

Cotton this seems very odd to. Me, again could be totally, innocent could be just someone doing a kindness for a. Neighbor but why would someone who didn't Know james at all suddenly be super involved in the, search then borrow money From, james and then show up as a. Pallbearer, again though that's all, circumstantial we have to go back to the place and time Where christina was last seen in and around the Bear Cat grocery store in The

bank parking. Lot even though there are a lot of disparate, reports actually what we're finding out is That christina went missing in a pretty small window of, time and we see something else in the case file that could potentially help police talk to the four people who were working

inside the Bear Cat grocery store that. Day, now three of the employees that either left or were otherwise occupied When christina was, around but one, person the, cashier got a very good look at a, stranger someone who came into the store at around the same time As christina was, there someone who she said no one in the store.

RECOGNIZED i wanted to find this cashier because in the whole case, file she was the only one who had a definite and good description of a potential, suspect who had been close to the unknown stranger and actually seen a detailed view of their. FACE i will not say exactly how we did, it AND i won't use her name BECAUSE i know that this person is very. Nervous but we found, her And i'm putting this information out

there because number, one this case file is. Public these names are part of the public record and, also most, IMPORTANTLY i believe this information is critical to solving this. Case we asked the cashier about what she had seen that day before we showed her her police statement by the, way which she'd never. Seen in her, statement the cashier said she was working at The bearcat grocery store On,

Saturday may, fourth nineteen ninety. One she, said at about five forty five, pm an, individual a, stranger came in and bought some. Cigarettes in her statement to, police the officer who interviewed the cashier noted she said that the stranger drove a mid or late seventies Model oldsmobile four door and it looked blue gray in. Color in a,

statement she, said the stranger pulled in heading. North the statement reads, quote she saw him on the sidewalk looking north and south and making A u turn and went south end. Quote the statement described the stranger as a white, male mid, thirties five foot nine and around one hundred and forty five, pounds hair dark, brown almost reddish in, color clean, hair almost shoulder, length not, curly almost. Straight she further stated he had a mustache and that his

hair was cupped around as, face which was. Thin she said he wasn't wearing glasses or a. Hat he had on older jeans and Bell crow type tennis shoes with a GRAY t shirt underneath an older shirt that was short. Sleeved she said no tattoos were. Visible in her, statement she said the, stranger who was white but had tan, skin looked Like Richard, gear that he bought cigarettes and,

left and that he stared at. Her the police report was very, brief but when we talked to the, cashier she gave us a lot of details that were not in the police. Report, again it's important to note that we asked her about her memories before we showed her her own.

Sidewalk in, fact he pulled it so far up that he had to get out on the passenger, side and she remembers looking out the window at that car because that was. Annoying she described the car as, dirty but definitely brown or. Tan and she clarified when she said the stranger looked Like Richard, gear she was really talking about the distinctive nose shape and.

page that explains that a sketch artist met with. Her they developed a composite, photo and that the comp leaded composite would be made part of the case. File but the photo copy of the composite drawing is not there as far AS i can.

Years we showed her some pictures of the people who were mentioned by police back in the, day Including Charles, cotton but she says that was not the stranger she waited. On Then amy shows her an old picture Of Robbie, tubbs her father in. Law the cashier, blinked looked, shocked and, said who is?

had anything to do With christina's. Death BUT i do find it interesting that the description of the car was different from the one in the case, file and that the cashier seems so haunted by looking at the image Of Robbie tubbs next to that drawing she has had in her safe for the past thirty. YEARS i know positive ideas are not definitive, proof but it means we need to keep. Digging I'm Catherine. Townsend this Is Helen Gone Murder. Line Helen Gone Murder line is a production

Of school Of humans And iHeart. Podcasts it's written and narrated by, Me Catherine townsend and produced By Gabby. Watts music contributed By ben So, lee executive producers Of Virginia, Prescott Brandon barr And Helsei.