The Fall Line: True Crime

We continue our coverage of the unsolved murder of Opelika, Alabama mother Sylvia Lou Dowdell, whose remains were discovered in Tuskegee just after Mother's Day 1998. This episode, we examine the crime scene, the forensic evidence, and the investigation. 
Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/fallline  #rulapod
Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to Quince.com.fallline  for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. 
Anyone with information regarding Sylvia's murder is encouraged to contact the Macon County Sheriff's Office at (334) 724-0669. Her family is offering a 5,000-dollar reward in her case. 
Season 27 covers unsolved homicides across the United States and tracks updates in the ongoing focus on alternative resources for Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogists. 
The Fall Line® is an investigative true crime podcast focused on cold cases, unsolved murders, missing persons, and unidentified John and Jane Does in the United States. We deliver in-depth reporting and interviews with law enforcement and forensic experts, examining unsolved homicides, disappearances, serial crimes, and the evidence behind them. Victim-centered and research-driven, we focus on cases still seeking answers.
Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide
Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions
Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/
Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources
Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast
We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com. 
All rights reserved, 2026

In 1998, a 38-year-old mother of seven, Sylvia Lou Dowdell, was murdered in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her body was left under a bridge, and her family in her hometown of Opelika waited to hear word of an arrest in her case. After all, a history of violence against Sylvia indicated what might have happened. But nearly 30 years later, her homicide remains unsolved, and two of her adult children, Precious and Steve, are heading up a renewed push for answers. 
Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/fallline  #rulapod
Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to Quince.com.fallline  for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. 
Anyone with information regarding Sylvia's murder is encouraged to contact the Macon County Sheriff's Office at (334) 724-0669. Her family is offering a 5,000-dollar reward in her case. 
Season 27 covers unsolved homicides across the United States and tracks updates in the ongoing focus on alternative resources for Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogists. 
The Fall Line® is an investigative true crime podcast focused on cold cases, unsolved murders, missing persons, and unidentified John and Jane Does in the United States. We deliver in-depth reporting and interviews with law enforcement and forensic experts, examining unsolved homicides, disappearances, serial crimes, and the evidence behind them. Victim-centered and research-driven, we focus on cases still seeking answers.
Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide
Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions
Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/
Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources
Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast
We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com. 
All rights reserved, 2026

In October of 1988, the remains of a homicide victim were found in a rural area of Grays Harbor County, just outside Elma, Washington. A dedicated detective worked her case for years—first in his role with the sheriff's office, and then as coroner. Even now, in his retirement, he's followed the case.
Despite thousands of hours of investigation, her identity remained elusive; but then, in 2018, forensic investigative genetic genealogy became a possibility, and The DNA Doe Project took on the case of the Grays Harbor Jane Doe. But her case has proved incredibly difficult, and genealogists and investigators need your help to reconnect her to her identity, and solve her murder. 
Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/fallline  #rulapod
If you have any information, please contact (360) 964-1742.
In July, we are revisiting cold cases that still need your attention.  Season 18 covers four unsolved homicides in four states and across three decades: all are in need of local and national attention to be resolved. 
 
To learn more about uploading your DNA: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/news-1/2022/7/11/guide-to-uploading-to-gedmatch
To support DNA Doe Project: https://dnadoeproject.org/donate/ 
The Fall Line® is an investigative true crime podcast focused on cold cases, unsolved murders, missing persons, and unidentified John and Jane Does in the United States. We deliver in-depth reporting and interviews with law enforcement and forensic experts, examining unsolved homicides, disappearances, serial crimes, and the evidence behind them. Victim-centered and research-driven, we focus on cases still seeking answers.
Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide
Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions
Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/
Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources
Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast
We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com. 
All rights reserved, 2026

We continue our coverage of the disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya. On St. Patrick's Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a town located in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. It was the last time that her friends and family ever saw her. Since then, lawyer and  advocate Darlene Gomez has been fighting alongside her family for justice for Melissa--and for resolution in her case. 
2026 Update: The unidentified person considered as a possible match for Melissa has been ruled out. However, law enforcement is seeking to speak with anyone who was with her on the night she disappeared.
Shopify: You don't need anyone's approval to make a living. Build your own business with a free trial at shopify.com/fall
In July, we are revisiting cold cases that still need your attention. 
If you have any information regarding Melissa's case, please contact the Jicarilla Apache Nation Police Department at 575-759-3222.
Season 19 focused on New Mexico and on the cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons/Missing/ Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIP/MMIWR) whose loved ones are still fighting for resolution in their cases. 
Darlene Gomez's nonprofit: https://www.mmiwr.org/
Angels' Voices Silenced No More: https://www.angelsvoicesnm.org/
The Fall Line® is an investigative true crime podcast focused on cold cases, unsolved murders, missing persons, and unidentified John and Jane Does in the United States. We deliver in-depth reporting and interviews with law enforcement and forensic experts, examining unsolved homicides, disappearances, serial crimes, and the evidence behind them. Victim-centered and research-driven, we focus on cases still seeking answers.
Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide
Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions
Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/
Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources
Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast
We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com. 
All rights reserved, 2026

On St. Patrick's Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Ann Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a town located in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. It was the last time that her friends and family ever saw her. Since then, lawyer and  advocate Darlene Gomez has been fighting alongside her family for justice for Melissa--and for resolution in her case. 
2026 Update: The unidentified person considered as a possible match for Melissa has been ruled out. However, law enforcement is seeking to speak with anyone who was with her on the night she disappeared.
Shopify: You don't need anyone's approval to make a living. Build your own business with a free trial at shopify.com/fall
In July, we are revisiting cold cases that still need your attention. 
If you have any information regarding Melissa's case, please contact the Jicarilla Apache Nation Police Department at 575-759-3222.
Season 19 focused on New Mexico and on the cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons/Missing/ Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIP/MMIWR) whose loved ones are still fighting for resolution in their cases. 
 
Darlene Gomez's non profit: https://www.mmiwr.org/
Angels' Voices Silenced No More: https://www.angelsvoicesnm.org/
The Fall Line® is an investigative true crime podcast focused on cold cases, unsolved murders, missing persons, and unidentified John and Jane Does in the United States. We deliver in-depth reporting and interviews with law enforcement and forensic experts, examining unsolved homicides, disappearances, serial crimes, and the evidence behind them. Victim-centered and research-driven, we focus on cases still seeking answers.
Learn more about our cold-case coverage at our Episode Guide
Submit a case to The Fall Line: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/case-submissions
Laurah's book LAY THEM TO REST: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/laurah-norton/lay-them-to-rest/9780306828805/
Sources at our website: https://www.thefalllinepodcast.com/sources
Join us on Patreon to fund therapy initiatives: https://www.patreon.com/thefalllinepodcast
We work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com. 
All rights reserved, 2026