S3E10: Still Waiting

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
This podcast is based on information sourced primarily from police and media reports, but certain names and other identifying details may have been changed or altered for privacy and security reasons. While the events and cases discussed are based on real investigations, some aspects may be simplified for time and for narrative purposes. Voice actors have been used to read from statements or documents. All information presented is intended solely to inform and raise awareness. Hosts may discuss theories regarding the cases examined in this podcast, but such discussions are not intended to and should not be considered by the listener to be legal conclusions. All persons discussed are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Listener discretion is advised.

**Ana Lalley** (1:02)
This is Chief Ana Lalley. Welcome to Somebody Knows Something, a podcast from the Elgin Police Department's Cold Case Unit. In this podcast, we will shed new light on cold cases in the city of Elgin by sharing untold details and by encouraging anyone with information to come forward. You will come along with real cold case detectives as they investigate active cold cases in real time and seek justice for the victims and closure for their families.
We believe that the Elgin Police Department and our community can work together to bring closure to cold cases because we know that in these cases, somebody knows something.

**Andrew Houghton** (1:46)
Hello and welcome to Somebody Knows Something, the Elgin Police Department Cold Case Podcast. My name is Detective Andrew Houghton.

**Chris Hall** (1:52)
I'm Detective Chris Hall.

**Beth Sterricker** (1:54)
And I'm Detective Beth Sterricker.

**Andrew Houghton** (1:57)
Last episode, Beth, Chris and I traveled to Tennessee to meet with some extended family that we identified through our family tree research.
While we were there, we interviewed members of Wyteria's extended family and most importantly of all, we finally collected not one, but two samples of familial DNA for this case. And that is a huge step for us.

**Beth Sterricker** (2:15)
We've notified NamUs of our updated information and we are waiting additional steps to begin our search for potential matches for Wyteria's case.
But that process could take a significant amount of time. So we are wrapping up Season 3 in this episode by discussing all of our theories and steps taken up to this point. Then we will be waiting for new updates and hopefully some resolution in this case.

**Chris Hall** (2:47)
Listeners will recall that we began this journey back in March with our bonus episode titled Still Missing.
In that episode, we discussed the five long-term missing people on our caseload at that time. Those people again are Francisco Loyo, Darren Wood, Maynard Escalante Martinez, Chad Smith and of course, Wyteria Jones. Since March, that number has dropped to four because Chad Smith was located living in Chicago shortly after our episode aired. And I was able to meet with his mother and reunite her with Chad.

**Beth Sterricker** (3:20)
We encourage listeners to visit our website at elgincoldcases.com to review our missing persons cases. And we are asking that anyone with information about the whereabouts of Francisco Loyo, Darren Wood, Maynard Escalante Martinez or Wyteria Jones, please contact us because all four of them are still missing.

**Andrew Houghton** (3:41)
Once we dove into our full season with Episode 1, Wyteria is Missing, we laid out the backstory for her case.
Wyteria was living in Elgin in September of 1982 at the Douglas Hotel. But when that hotel closed on or about October 1st, she disappeared. Chris and I laid out all the theories and options we had for Wyteria's case in our first episode. So let's revisit them here as we wrap up this season for now in our final episode that we are calling, Still Waiting.

**Beth Sterricker** (4:15)
Our first theory for Wyteria's case was that something could have happened to Wyteria at the Douglas Hotel.
Perhaps she never even moved out. So we reviewed records for the hotel, including information about renovations at that location, and we visited it to see it for ourselves.

**Chris Hall** (4:30)
The hotel is just across the street from our current police department, and the city of Elgin actually purchased it and converted it into apartments. We also disclosed to the public that the police did search the hotel in 1983 after Wyteria was reported missing, but that search was several months after her disappearance. Nevertheless, at this point, we have no evidence to support that Wyteria was a victim of a crime at the hotel.
While it is possible that she never left the actual property, it does seem like one of our more unlikely theories at this point, given the fact that the property has been heavily renovated.