Hey, small town fam. It's Yardley. How are you guys? I hope you're all well. We have such an interesting case for you today. It involves a murder in a homeless encampment. And our guest today, Deputy Brandon, gives a fascinating account of the challenges that come with investigating a crime like that

when the people you want to talk to are constantly on the move and as a rule, don't talk to the police,

about anything. As details of the victim in this case emerge, it's clear that life in this traveling community

is dangerous and unpredictable, and alliances change on a dime.

So when Brandon and his team actually start interviewing witnesses, it's hard to know who's telling the truth

and who just has a beef with their neighbor

and wants to put them in a bad spot.

And then there are the pentagrams,

a bit of wicker and a Bible that,

well, you'll see.

Let's just say,

sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.

Here is, bedeviled.

Hi there, I'm Yardley.

I'm Dan. I'm Dave.

And I'm Paul.

And this is Small Town Dix.

Dave and I are identical twins and retired detectives from Smalltown USA.

And I'm a veteran cold case investigator who helped catch the Golden State Killer using a revolutionary DNA tool.

Between the three of us, we've investigated thousands of crimes, from petty theft to sexual assault, child abuse, to murder. Each case we cover is told by the detective who investigated it, offering a rare, personal account of how they solved a crime.

Names, places, and certain details have been changed to protect the privacy of victims and their

families. And although we're aware that some of our listeners may be familiar with these cases,

...