Steve Fishman, Narrator
Appearances
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
This is Mark Davis. Mark was born and raised on the outskirts of Mansfield, in a big family where there was always room at the dinner table. Soon after he met Jack, he learned about the doctor's chronic malnutrition and offered to help.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
When he first met Jack, Mark was a mechanotherapist, a kind of physical therapist. He and Jack had offices near each other, which was how they crossed paths.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Mark, who enjoyed model planes, was impressed. Soon, Jack was a regular at the Davis dinner table. Most of Mark's extended family lived nearby, and a bunch would regularly show up for dinner.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
So Jack was like part of the family. Yeah. Mark liked Jack, and he was kind of flattered that the prominent doctor took to him too. Despite their different backgrounds, their friendship was easy. They'd prank each other, needle each other, like when Jack tried to ride Mark's bulldozer.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
To Mark, Jack seemed great, rich but not snobby, educated but not pretentious, at home in the country and always up for a good conversation and a good meal. So Mark got to thinking.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Mark Davis' niece, Sherry Campbell. The fun 28-year-old who was supposed to be terminally ill. The patient. Collier met that day at the country party.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
It was a stunner. The first time Collier heard it, he and his parents were in the dining room of an exclusive country club, hosting a party for his father's medical colleagues. Collier was eight years old, crayons in hand.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Collier had no idea what was going on between his father and Sherry. For all he knew, she was his patient. But he had begun to realize that all was not well between his parents.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
What Caillou did know was that the arguments could get heated and that sometimes his father could get real angry.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Despite his father's temper, Caillou treasured their time together. He was an 11-year-old boy. He wanted to be around his dad, wanted to impress him, to earn his praise. And so on Father's Day 1989, a few weeks after that party in the country, Collier happily accompanied Jack on another father-son trip, this one to his office to pick up some paperwork.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
On the way home, Jack wanted to make a little detour.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
So let's get back to January 1990, six months after Collier saw his father kiss Sherry. Collier's mother has just disappeared, and he's reporting to Lieutenant Dave Messmore regularly with clues. The kissing, the ring, all of it. Dave doesn't exactly jump up and down with excitement.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
He's writing it down in his little book. Dave doesn't say much because Dave didn't have much. He hadn't been able to find Noreen, and Dr. Jack Boyle still wouldn't talk to him. So with little else to go on, Dave decided to dig into the good doctor a little bit more. He started hearing stories, lots of them.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
In fact, Jack came from a modest family. His dad was a firefighter, and Jack didn't grow up with privilege. He'd gone to medical school on a scholarship and also had a part-time job. By that point in Dave's investigation, he'd started interviewing nurses.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Dave was a family man. Family meant a lot to him. And this philandering thing, it offended him.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
As if that wasn't enough, the woman said Jack had left something disturbing for her. It was a photograph of himself dressed in his former white Navy uniform, dozens of medals pinned to his chest, standing with his arm around a much younger woman.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
And what about Collier's favorite story, the one about Dr. Jack Boyle's heroism on the high seas during the Vietnam War?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Of course, when his mother first disappeared, Collier didn't know most of this. What he did know was that his mother was gone, his father was involved with another woman, and something felt very, very wrong. And then, according to Collier, on January 1st, just one day after Noreen went missing, the Boyle household got a visitor.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Later, Collier found out that his father had had many girlfriends. Many, many, many, many. Still, his family had worked in its way. But Sherry was different. She's the one who got pregnant. Don't want to wait for that next episode? You don't have to. Unlock all episodes of Finding Mom's Killer ad-free right now by subscribing to the Binge Podcast channel.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Search for The Binge on Apple Podcasts and hit subscribe at the top of the page. Not on Apple? Head to getthebinge.com to get access wherever you listen. As a subscriber, you'll get binge access to new stories on the first of every month. Check out the Binge channel page on Apple Podcasts or getthebinge.com to learn more. Finding Mom's Killer is a production of Orbit Media.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Creator and host, Steve Fishman. That's me. Our senior producer is Drew Nellis. Our producer and production coordinator, Austin Smith. Our story editor, Emile Klein. Fact check by Ryan Alderman. Mixing and sound design by Scott Somerville. Our lawyers are at Davis Wright Tremaine. From Sony Music Entertainment, our executive producer is Jonathan Hirsch.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Special thanks to Emily Rasek, Steve Ackerman, Catherine St. Louis, Sammy Allison, Fisher Stevens, Ria Julian, Dan Bobcoff. At WME, we'd like to thank Evan Krasick, Marissa Hurwitz, and Ben Davis. We want to also thank Carl Hunnell at the Richland Source for the generous use of his podcast studio.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Collier's mother has no doubt heard this story many times before, but Collier hasn't, and he's captivated.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
From Sony Music Entertainment and Orbit Media, this is Finding Mom's Killer. I'm Steve Fishman. Episode 2, The Stories We Tell.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
It's January 1990 in Mansfield, Ohio. Collier Landry Boyle is 11. It's been a few years since he's heard his father tell that story of wartime derring-do. A lot has changed. Collier's mother, Noreen, has just disappeared. His father, Jack, is in tears, telling friends that Noreen has walked out on the family, though he doesn't seem particularly interested in helping the police find her.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Collier, on the other hand, is in a panic. He's established a partnership of sorts with veteran police lieutenant Dave Messmore.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
For Lieutenant Messmore, this wasn't just lip service. He was becoming fond of this odd, overly polite kid. Without his mother, Collier seemed all alone in the world, like he needed a parent. Did you feel like Collier was interested in making a relationship with you?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Right then, Collier needed someone to confide in. The story he'd been telling himself about his childhood had just been rewritten. And in Collier's memory, that childhood was idyllic. When he was growing up, his father was a Navy physician and the Boyles lived on a base in Virginia. A Navy base isn't fancy, but for Collier, it was a place of wonder.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Planes landed so close it felt like they were right next door. He spent hours digging up old military relics in the backyard. And his parents, Jack and Noreen, doted on him. They made a home in which a little boy could forget himself completely, even when his imagination got the better of him. Like one day when he was watching a favorite cartoon.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
If Collier thought of his father as a hero, then his mother was his soulmate.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Noreen took Collier everywhere. From an early age, he'd join her for lunch dates with friends. He was her escort for plays and art openings, her style consultant when she picked out designer clothes or home decor or fancy jewelry.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
The Binge. Feed your true crime obsession. We all remember the stories our parents told us. Not just the bedtime stories, but the ones our parents told about themselves. The stories that summed up who they were, their place in the world, and the lives we, their children, might someday lead. As a kid, Collier Landry Boyle heard lots of these stories. There was one his dad especially liked to tell.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Clearly, Collier wasn't a scrappy little kid coming home with mud on his jeans. Noreen didn't even like him wearing jeans. She dressed him in slacks and polo shirts. She cooked him gourmet meals. He loved her cooking. And she made sure his manners were perfect.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
After all, as Noreen reminded Collier, they came from good stock, money, and glamour.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
It wasn't just Noreen's side of the family. Collier's father, Jack, said that his ancestors were prominent bluebloods from Philadelphia's famous main line, which made Jack and Noreen a good match, both descendants of American Brahmins. They certainly looked the part. Jack was tall and handsome, with a mop of dark curly hair. Noreen was petite, blonde, beautiful.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
And Collier, he was their perfect, precocious son, eager to entertain his parents.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
For people from a distinguished lineage, a no-frills Navy base was hardly the place to reassert their ancestral glory. Clearly, the Boyles were meant for finer things. So when they got the chance to leave, they jumped at it. In 1983, they moved to Mansfield, Ohio. Now Mansfield, population 50,000, might not have been a hive of culture, but it was a step up.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Jack and Noreen had decided it was time for private practice and a larger payday. The Boyles bought a modest house in a posh neighborhood. They put Collier in private school. And eventually they expanded their family, adopting a little girl from China. Jack's practice took off. Patients liked him and sent their friends. It was a family business. Jack doctored, Noreen kept the books.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Soon the Boyles amassed symbols of success. Three cars, including a BMW and a Range Rover. Noreen started collecting Louis Vuitton purses. Eventually, she'd own seven. Jack had a reputation as a devoted and hardworking physician. He even did house calls like an old-fashioned country doctor. And tagging along was one of Collier's favorite father-son activities.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
And so in the summer of 1989, Kaya didn't think much of it when his father invited him to come along on an appointment way out in the country.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Eventually, Jack introduced Collier to his patient, a woman named Sherry. She was 28, a mother of two, and lived just down the road.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Collier jumped on behind Sherry and they drove off. Collier was a long way from trying on Rolexes at Tiffany's, but he was having a great time. This Sherry lady, he thought, she's fun. Eventually, Collier headed off with Sherry's kids. They ran around the woods and skipped some stones on a nearby lake. Then Collier realized he hadn't seen his dad for quite some time.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Collier felt bad for Sherry, but he'd done plenty of house calls with his father. He'd seen his father attend to plenty of sick patients. Actually, it sometimes felt like his dad was always out seeing sick patients.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
To Collier, it seemed like his dad was never home. In fact, Collier and his mother rarely saw him.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 2. The Stories We Tell
Around Mansfield, there were a few different stories told about Dr. Jack Boyle, the well-heeled husband, the selfless country doctor, the courageous Navy pilot. And also, as some knew, a guy who loved a home-cooked meal, though most of the time he had to fend for himself around the Boyle residence.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Listen to all episodes of Finding Mom's Killer ad-free right now by subscribing to The Binge. Visit The Binge channel on Apple Podcasts and hit subscribe at the top of the page or visit getthebinge.com to get access wherever you listen. The Binge, feed your true crime obsession. The Binge.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
It's the night of Noreen Boyle's disappearance, and Collier is in bed. He's heard strange noises, strange voices, strange footsteps. But when everything goes quiet, he manages to fall back to sleep. The next morning when he wakes up, the first thing he does is run to his mother's bedroom. She isn't there. She always makes her bed first thing in the morning, but this time the sheets are a mess.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Collier did hear what his father said, but he'd actually been preparing for a moment just like this. He knew his parents were going through a divorce. There was screaming in the house, tempers flaring, and Collier, like his hero Batman, was always ready for action.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
So when his mother went missing, Collier decided it was up to him to find her. From Sony Music Entertainment and Orbit Media, this is Finding Mom's Killer. I'm Steve Fishman. This is the story of how a precocious kid joined forces with a most unlikely partner. Together, they set out to solve the mystery of his mother's disappearance.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Noreen's friends did call the police. And that's how word of her disappearance made its way to the Mansfield Police Department and to Dave Messmore's desk. And now, sitting in the classroom, there was one more thing Collier wanted to make sure Dave understood. He wanted their meeting kept confidential.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
For his part, as Dave interviewed Collier that day, he thought, this kid just might be on to something.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
The interview ended. Kaya went back to class, then home. He knew Dave would be stopping by that night, and he was on edge.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
And so Collier and Dave are now a dynamic duo. The precocious preteen and the mild-mannered middle-aged detective. It's like something out of a comic book. Did you think of Batman? I did think of Batman. What did you think?
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Collier, of course, wasn't quite Batman, more of a Robin. You know, the boy wonder, the junior partner. And in that role, he was determined to help Dave track down his mother.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
And Lieutenant Dave Messmore was determined to hold up his end.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
So now Dave's all in. Jack Boyle won't talk to him. Hmm. That makes Dave pretty suspicious. And so he decides his next step. Take a closer look at the good doctor.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Finding Mom's Killer is a production of Orbit Media. Creator and host, Steve Fishman. That's me. Our senior producer is Drew Nellis. Our producer and production coordinator, Austin Smith. Our story editor, Emile Klein. Fact check by Ryan Alderman. Mixing and sound design by Scott Somerville. Our lawyers are at Davis Wright Tremaine.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Along the way, they'd unearth one terrible family secret after another. Episode one, A Little Vacation. On New Year's Day, 1990, six months before that 12-year-old boy took the witness stand, the Mansfield, Ohio Police Department was swamped with the usual holiday stuff. Bar brawls, disorderly conduct. So when a 44-year-old woman named Noreen Boyle was reported missing, it was not a top priority.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
From Sony Music Entertainment, our executive producer is Jonathan Hirsch. Special thanks to Emily Rasek, Steve Ackerman, Catherine St. Louis, Sammy Allison, Fisher Stevens, Rhea Julian, Dan Bobcoff. At WME, we'd like to thank Evan Krasick, Marissa Hurwitz, and Ben Davis. We want to also thank Carl Hunnell at the Richland Source for the generous use of his podcast studio.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
This is Lieutenant Dave Messmore of the Mansfield Police. When Noreen Boyle's disappearance landed on his desk, he didn't think much of it. A couple of uniformed patrolmen had been sent over to her house to check things out. Their conclusion? Nothing to worry about.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
As you might have gathered, Lieutenant Dave Messmore isn't exactly the excitable type. In appearance, he kind of fades into the background. He's got thinning hair, a lampshade mustache, sensible glasses. He takes his time. He's methodical. He assumed Noreen Boyle was just an unhappy wife in an unhappy marriage who needed a little alone time.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Then one day at his office, he received a phone call from a close friend of Noreen's.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
So on January 2, Dave climbed into his department-issued used Oldsmobile and drove over to Noreen Boyle's house. Now, Dave was the Mansfield Police Department's head of major crimes. He wasn't supposed to go chase down leads on low priority cases. But Dave, low-key, laconic Dave, is full of surprises.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
By this point, he'd been on the force for 15 years, and he'd developed a reputation for striking out on his own, for bucking his superiors. He once put away a friend, a fellow cop no less, for murder. People learned it was best not to get in his way. Another time, he had a kid with a knife cornered. Other cops debated a next step. Dave rushed him.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Dave, without blackjack, figured he'd head over to the Boyle residence, have a word with Noreen's husband, a prominent local doctor named Jack Boyle. He arrived at the house, walked up the front steps, rang the doorbell.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
This is Collier Boyle. He was the kid you heard testifying at the top of the show. He's a lot older now. When Lieutenant Dave Messmore arrived at the Boyle residence, it was Collier's grandmother, that's his father's mother, who answered the door.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Collier made an impression on Dave. This was a kid who dressed in chinos and penny loafers. He had a perfectly coiffed brown bob. He looked like a tiny adult.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Kaya was surprised. He hadn't expected this cop who suddenly showed up on the doorstep to actually listen to him.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Dave did take Collier seriously. Still, he didn't have any clues to follow. Just the concerns of an anxious adolescent son. Dave, he decided to talk it over with his wife, who refers to him as hubby, by the way.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
It's 1990, and we're in a courtroom in Mansfield, Ohio. The prosecution's star witness has just taken the stand. He's about to describe something that happened one fateful night a few months ago.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
So once again, Dave headed to the Boyle residence, where he was met once again by Dr. Jack Boyle's mother, Collier's grandmother.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
So later that evening, yet again, Dave drove to the Boyle residence. For those keeping score, that's his third visit of the day.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
I said, hmm. Hmm, that's Dave's characteristically restrained reaction to any new suspicion. So Dave, now suspicious, decided he'd start looking into Dr. Jack Boyle. As it turned out, Dr. Boyle's patients really loved him. They described him as funny, intelligent, gregarious, caring.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
The kind of doctor who'd go above and beyond, who'd make house calls and stay up all night at the bedside of a sick patient. Even at the police department, Dave discovered his fellow cops were fans.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Plus, one of Jack's friends said he was devastated that Noreen left. She recalled Jack sobbing on the phone to her. She's gone. She's gone. And then Dave learned something that made Noreen's disappearance seem understandable.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
In fact, Noreen had filed for divorce less than two months before. And it was contentious. There were fancy cars to fight over, a lot of money in the bank, child support, alimony, joint credit cards. Maybe Dave's original hunch had been right. In the midst of a rough separation, with both parties sleeping under the same roof, Noreen just needed a few days to herself.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
And why did her son insist that something was wrong? Dave decided it was time to get more details from his prime source, the one inside the Boyle household. He phoned the private school that Collier attended and requested that the principal arrange a meeting. This is just what Collier had been hoping for.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
On January 8th, 1990, Collier Landry Boyle sat down with Lieutenant Dave Messmore in an elementary school classroom. The kind with those small chairs. Dave is six feet tall, but he figured it'd be good to be on the same level as Collier. It'd make him comfortable.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
A little more than a week earlier, December 30th, Collier and his mother were sitting at a table having chili for dinner.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
Then Collier headed upstairs to his bedroom. He may have struck people as a miniature adult, but his bedroom was definitely that of a child.
The Binge Crimes: Finding Mom's Killer
Finding Mom's Killer | 1. A Little Vacation
So safe in his bedroom with his Batman clock and his Garfield dolls, Collier fell asleep. And then in the middle of the night, something woke him.