Jermaine Robinson was bullied as a kid, until his mom, Andrea, taught him how to box and “protect himself.” She says something clicked in her son’s head that day. He began to carry a gun, run with the wrong crowd, and get picked up by police. His friends called him "Shooter". He was in and out of the court system for years, and Andrea says she tried everything, until one day, Jermaine was shot and killed. As Andrea shares her story of grief and anger, we try to understand what drives a person to pick up a gun and shoot, and how trauma is often the trigger. Host: Kristen Johanson Producer: Sabr ..read more

In October of 2019, two children were shot within hours of each other, including two-year-old Nikolette Rivera.  A bullet from an assault rifle struck her head and instantly killed her. It was at the hands of a man named Tayvon Thomas, who grew up abused and neglected, and turned to drugs. We dig into both sides of this tragedy, examine the systemic failures that contributed, and ask why the most vulnerable feel the least protected. Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for free downloads delivered to your phone every week. Host: Kristen Johanson Producer: Sabrina Boyd-Surka Production Assi ..read more

Gun violence is a national crisis. In Philadelphia, more than 10,000 people have been shot in the last five years. 2,100 people have died.  Every bullet fired has a ripple effect. In this series from Gone Cold, we’ll examine the issues through stories from those affected the most: victims, defendants, law enforcement, medical workers, judges and families, while highlighting unsolved cases. What makes someone pull the trigger? What is the lasting impact? And what, if anything, can make it stop? Hear the first episode of “Ricochet” on Wednesday, January 24 on the Gone Cold: Philadelphia Uns ..read more

Danelo Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison on August 31 after being sentenced to life in prison without parole the week before for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend. For two weeks, neighbors in a quiet and mostly rural suburban county west of Philadelphia anxiously waited for the capture of the 34-year old Cavalcante, as state police launched a massive manhunt. How did a late-night cigarette break tip authorities off to the whereabouts of the escaped killer? How did a dog named Yoda helped detain him? And, moving forward, can the public be reassured that an escape like this will ..read more

The Philadelphia Police Department has released a new composite picture of the suspect known as the “Fairmount Park Rapist” based on his genetic profile. It’s the first time the department has used the technology. Parabon NanoLabs used DNA collected at the crime scenes to create a composite of the suspect, using genetic markers.  You can look at the photo on social media or on kywnewsradio.com -- Twitter: @gonecoldphilly (https://twitter.com/GoneColdPhilly) Instagram: @gonecoldphilly (https://www.instagram.com/gonecoldphilly/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gonecoldphilly/ It ..read more

September 11th is a day America will never forget. What began as a ‘bright blue day’, quickly turned into a generationally traumatic event -- the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil in US history. While the nation watched in horror, first responders and investigators jumped in, trying to pick up the pieces and give the victims back to their loved ones.   Two of those people were from the Philadelphia region. Veteran Philadelphia police officer Jon Taggart works in the Crime Scene Unit. He travelled to Ground Zero with a small team and they spent weeks collecting the remains ..read more

In July of 2003, a woman driving through Fairmount Park called 911 after hearing a bloodcurdling scream. Police followed her back to the spot where she first heard the scream and then walked into the woods. There, they found the body of med student Rebecca Park. She had been raped and murdered while out for a jog. It's been nearly two decades since Rebecca Park was murdered. Philadelphia Police have never stopped hunting for the man who killed her, known only as the Fairmount Park rapist. Contact the Philadelphia Police Department online at https://www.phillypolice.com/ Stay in touch with Go ..read more

This is an update to the episode "What happened to Publicker Jane Doe," from November of 2020. Make sure you listen to that episode before starting this one. The remains of a young woman were found on the property of the abandoned Publicker distillery in Bensalem in January of 1988. For more than 30 years, she was known only as Publicker Jane Doe. Bensalem Police Detective Chris McMullin has spent much of his career trying to find out her name. And then earlier this year, it happened. Through the efforts of the Bensalem Police Department and their law enforcement partners, the scientists at B ..read more

On March 15th, 2018, Shelton Hayes was shot and killed in his mother's house in Northwest Philadelphia. Shelton's mother, Rhonda, was upstairs. He was 39 years old. He was a son, a brother, and a father.  If you know what happened to Shelton Hayes, please call Philadelphia Police. The tip line is 215-686-tips, or send an email to tips@phillypolice.com   Gone Cold: Philadelphia Unsolved Murders is made by Kristen Johanson (@KristenJohanson) and Tom Rickert (@teerick). Follow the show on Twitter: @GoneColdPhilly <link = https://twitter.com/GoneColdPhilly > Instagram: @GoneCo ..read more

On the morning of October 20th, 2005, a man was cutting the grass around Memorial Park in Lansdale, PA. The 10-acre park has a veterans memorial wall, tennis courts, and a baseball field with a dugout. After he drove by the dugout a few times and looked inside, he knew that something horrible had happened. More than 15 years after the murder of Michael Ewer, Lansdale Police Chief Mike Trail and Montgomery County Detective Jim McGowan are still going to work every day looking for his killer. Do you know anything about what happened to Michael Ewer? There's a $5,000 reward for information. Cont ..read more