Episode Summary
We have two stories for you today. Two separate cases that both need one thing – people to talk. Thomas and Geetha’s cases are both in desperate need for more information, and we’re certain someone out there holds key information that could solve these cases. We’re hoping by sharing each of their stories, someone out there will do the right thing and speak up.
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For our friends in the Deaf and Signing community, you can view an ASL version of this episode HERE.
Episode Info
If you know anything about:
- The death of Thomas Bearson in North Dakota in 2014, or the location of his phone, please call the Moorhead Police Tip Line at 218-299-5120.
- The death of Geetha Angara in New Jersey in 2005, please call the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-877-370-PCPO (7276) or email them at [email protected].
Check out Barbara Butcher is CJAF Part 1 and Part 2 on our YouTube channel!
- You can also view and purchase Barbara Butcher’s book, What The Dead Know, here or anywhere you purchase books.
Thomas Bearson, who went by Tom.
Tom Bearson.
Tom on his high school basketball team.
Andrew Sadek, who died in 2014 whilst acting as a confidential informant for the police.
Thomas Bearson.
Geetha Angara.
Geetha (left) and her husband, Jaya (right).
A photo of the inside of the Passaic Valley Water Commission.
Geetha Angara.
Episode Source Material
- WCCO/CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): Freshman Student Missing From North Dakota State, by WCCO and Associated Press.
- St. Cloud Times (St. Cloud, MN): Search Continues for student from Sartell, by Grace Lyden via Newspapers.com.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): Body found positively identified as missing NDSU freshman, by Grace Lyden.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): Investigation continues into death of NDSU student, by Grace Lyden.
- The News Leaders (St. Cloud, MN): Search for Bearson ends tragically, by Dennis Dalman.
- CBC News (National): North Dakota State student’s death ruled a homicide, by Associated Press.
- WCCO/CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): Police Urge Caution After NDSU Student’s Killing, by Associated Press.
- The News Leaders (St. Cloud, MN): Investigation of Bearson death continues.
- WCCO/CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): Police: Suspicious Man Seen Near Where NDSU Student’s Body Found, by WCCO.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): Medical Examiner: Tom Bearson toxicology report taking longer than normal, by Amy Unrau.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): Tom Bearson case update: Nearly 3 months, no new leads, by Bryn Nelson.
- WCCO/CBS Minnesota: Murdered North Dakota State Student Was A Charming, Happy Kid, Family Says, by WCCO.
- WCCO/CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): Moorhead Police Receive Final Autopsy Report On NDSU Student, by Associated Press.
- WCCO/CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): Police Looking For Vehicle Spotted Near Body Of Murdered NDSU Student, by WCCO.
- WCCO/CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): Moorhead Police: Vehicle In Question Not Linked To NDSU Death, by WCCO.
- InForum (Fargo, ND): Fargo police sought records about Bearson Snapchats, by Emily Welker via Internet Archive.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): Girlfriend of slain NDSU student says people connected to case have refused lie detector tests, by Grace Lyden.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): Parents of slain NDSU student want polygraph tests for people who were with him last, by Forum News Service.
- WCCO/CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): FBI Helps With Case Of Murdered Sartell Student, by WCCO.
- WCCO/CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): ‘It’s A Battle Every Day’: Parents Speak Out On NDSU Student’s Unsolved Murder, by WCCO.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): Two years later, search continues for NDSU student’s killer, by Archie Ingersoll.
- St. Cloud Times (St. Cloud, MN): Bearson shares how family lives through loss of son, by Jordyn Brown via Newspapers.com.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): ‘A lie to everyone you meet:’ Homicide of NDSU freshman still a deep wound 4 years later, by Kim Hyatt.
- Who Killed Tommy? (Limited Podcast Series) via Spotify.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): NDSU freshman’s cause of death uncovered, raises more questions about unsolved 2014 homicide, by Forum News Service and Kim Hyatt.
- Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): Answers still elusive 7 years after NDSU student Tommy Bearson’s death, by Robin Huebner.
- Valley New Live (Fargo, ND): Foundation for murdered NDSU student to close as case remains unsolved, by Gretchen Hjelmstad.
- Valley News Live (Fargo, ND): Tom Bearson death investigation ‘still active’, by Jordan Schroeer and Reed Gregory.
- Daily Beast: Student Drug Informant Found With a Bullet in His Head and Rocks in His Backpack, by Kate Briquelet.
- Broward Health Hub: Recognizing the Signs of Drug Overdose.
- World Health Organization: Opiod Overdose.
- The New York Times (New York, NY): Body of a Missing Chemist Is Found in a Water Tank, by Tina Kelley and Michelle O’Donnell.
- WNBC (New York, NY): Missing N.J. Chemist Found Dead In Water Tank, by WNBC and Associated Press via Internet Archive.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Worker found dead in water utility tank, by Douglass Crouse and Amy L. Kovac via Newspapers.com.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Death puzzles authorities, by Douglass Crouse and Amy L. Kovac via Newspapers.com.
- The New York Times (New York, NY): Chemist’s Death Is Ruled Homicide, Prosecutor Says, by Tina Kelley.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): PVWC death ruled a homicide, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ): Worker’s death ruled a homicide, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- South Bergenite (Rutherford, NJ): Boil water alert prompted by woman’s death, by Susan Hebert via Newspapers.com.
- New York Post (New York, NY): Plant staff grilled in tank slay, by Heidi Singer.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Family always came first, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- Passaic Valley Today (Little Falls, NJ): Chemist dies in water tank incident, by Tom Boud via Newspapers.com.
- New York Post (New York, NY): Mysterious tank killing rocks kin of ‘perfect’ ma, by Jeane MacIntosh.
- Clifton Journal (Clifton, NJ): Water now safe to drink, by Meredith Cooper via Newspapers.com.
- New York Post (New York, NY): 3 left in whodunit – cops narrow list of plant suspects, by Jeane MacIntosh.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): TV crime show shot scene similar to chemist’s death, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- Nj.com (Iselin, NJ): From the archives: At plant, a chilling idea: Killer still on site (2005), by Mark Mueller.
- Trib Live (Tarentum, PA): Body found has ‘Law and Order’ parallels, by United Press International.
- Security Info Watch: Security Ends at Front Gate of Water Plant in New Jersey.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): Samples of DNA taken in slaying, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- New York Post (New York, NY): Tank-death cops get workers DNA, by Jeane MacIntosh.
- Nj.com (Iselin, NJ): From the archives: In hunt for killer, police will revisit a 1968 mystery (2005), by Mark Mueller.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): Safety measures lagged before worker’s death, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Search narrows in PVWC case, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- Daily Record (Morristown, NJ): Prosecutor: Chemist probably assaulted, by Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The New York Times (New York, NY): Co-Workers Become Focus in Killing at Water Tank, by Tina Kelley.
- New York Post (New York, NY): ‘Slay’ plant at boiling pt., by Susan Edelman.
- BBC News (UK): US police puzzled by water tank killing, by Chris Summers.
- National Post (Toronto, Ontario, Canada): Woman’s death in water tank has N.J. police in the dark, by Mary Vallis via Newspapers.com.
- Press of Atlantic City (Atlantic City, NJ): Still no leads in mysterious death of N.J. water chemist, by Wayne Parry via Newspapers.com.
- The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA): Drowning at Water Plant Reeks of Foul Play, by Elizabeth Mehren.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): Family, police still stymied by chemist’s death, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- New York Post (New York, NY): E.P.A. in slay probe – N.J. water record eyed, by Jeane MacIntosh.
- The New York Times (New York, NY): Metro Briefing | New Jersey: Totowa: Agency To Investigate Chemist’s Death, by The Associated Press.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): EPA Reviewing case of slain chemist, by The Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): Sheriff’s office is hired to patrol water plant, by Maya Kremen via Newspapers.com.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Chemist’s death unsolved a year later, by Ashley Kindergan and Brian Spadora via Newspapers.com.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Family wants justice, by Brian Spadora and Ashley Kindergan via Newspapers.com.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): 3 co-workers are targeted in water plant slaying, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, NJ): No charges, motive 1 year after killing, by A. Scott Ferguson via Newspapers.com.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA): Slaying of N.J. chemist still baffles a year later, by Wayne Parry via Newspapers.com.
- New York Post (New York, NY): Zeroing in on N.J. chemist’s killer – 3 suspects eyed 1 yr. after water-plant slay, by Jeane MacIntosh.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): Real-life murder mystery, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- The New York Times (New York, NY): One Year After Chemist’s Murder, a Stalled Inquiry Angers Relatives, by Tina Kelley.
- The New York Times (New York, NY): Metro Briefing | New Jersey: Totowa: A Call From Murder Victim’s Family, by Tina Kelley.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): A year of anguish, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Painful Anniversary, by Brian Spadora via Newspapers.com.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Top cop to discuss chemist case, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- Passaic Valley Today (Little Falls, NJ): One year later, murder still unsolved, by Tom Boud via Newspapers.com.
- People: A Killer Among Us, by Alex Tresniowski.
- New York Post (New York, NY): ‘Murder’ may be mishap – scientist might have fallen into tank, by Jeane MacIntosh.
- Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, NJ): Prosecutor’s comments upset victim’s family, by A. Scott Ferguson via Newspapers.com.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): Water sabotage preceded killing, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- Nj.com (Iselin, NJ): From the archives: State to take up probe in death of chemist at water treatment plant (2007), by Mark Mueller.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): N.J. joins probe of chemist’s death, by Douglass Crouse and Mitchel Maddux via Newspapers.com.
- The New York Times (New York, NY): Trenton: Further Investigation Into Chemist’s Death, by Ronald Smothers.
- Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, NJ): Holmdel woman’s killing gets new look, by Sametta M. Thompson via Newspapers.com.
- The Record (Hackensack, NJ): Family sues in chemist’s death, by Douglass Crouse via Newspapers.com.
- Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, NJ): Dead chemist’s family files lawsuit, by The Associated Press via Newspapers.com.
- Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, NJ): Still seeking answers, loved ones remember Geetha Angara, by Michelle Gladden via Newspapers.com.
- New York Post (New York, NY): Tank Drown Twist, by Jeane MacIntosh.
- Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, NJ): Chemist’s family presses ahead with civil suit, by Sametta M. Thompson via Newspapers.com.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Unsolved Mystery haunts family, by Heather Appel & Ed Beeson via Newspapers.com.
- Nj.com (Iselin, NJ): From the archives: Accident or murder? Former investigator addresses water-tank homicide (2008), by Mark Mueller.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Chemist’s family pleads for justice, by Heather Appel & Ed Beeson via Newspapers.com.
- Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, NJ): Vigil marks anniversary of chemist’s death, by Jim McConville via Newspapers.com.
- The Herald-News (Passaic, NJ): Trial on hold in mystery death, by John Petrick via Newspapers.com.
- Nj.com (Iselin, NJ): Death in the water tank: nightmarish case remains unsolved 10 years later, by Mark Mueller.