When her father was murdered when she was simply six years outdated, Madison McGhee by no means dreamed that she’d develop as much as uncover the “mind-twisting” strategy of looking for his killer.
However after ready many years for law enforcement to search out justice for her household, Madison started conducting her personal investigation into the night time her father, John Cornelious McGhee, was killed throughout a “dwelling invasion gone incorrect” of their Ohio dwelling. Police opened a case, however the household feels that resulting from John’s on-and-off drug habit and fame round city, not sufficient sources had been poured in, and the case went chilly.
The case was chilly for 21 years till Madison started producing, directing, writing, and recording her podcast, The Ice Cold Case. Madison is “now at some extent the place perhaps I used to be actually on to one thing to start with, and that’s only a wild sense of emotion,” she shared solely with The Mirror.
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“I am doing the whole lot I can to make this case as commonplace as Jon Benet Ramsey as a result of I believe that is the one manner that this small county in Ohio will really feel the stress to do one thing about it,” explains Madison on what drives her to proceed asking questions on her dad’s homicide.
“The Ice Chilly Case” seeks to carry friends conversant in John McGhee and her household to scrutinize their data and interviews. Nevertheless it’s additionally a trek of self-discovery for now 28-year-old Madison, who’s attending to know her father in a manner most kids by no means get to – by discovering who he was by means of the tales and testimonies of his buddies and relations.
She defined that the newest updates within the chilly case are by no means as they appear. “All the pieces is altering daily. I might get a name in 5 minutes that may fully take the story in a distinct path.”
However by placing it on the market publicly, she’s lastly making headway in a tough scenario. “The place I am at proper now’s actually attempting to grapple with my very own ideas and attempting to place all of it collectively whereas additionally incorporating this new ingredient, which is that suggestions are coming in as a result of individuals are listening to the podcast, and that has form of blown my thoughts, and I used to be not anticipating that on account of this,” she instructed The Mirror.
When requested what the most important surprises have been by means of this course of, Madison detailed the painstaking strategy of theorizing and disproving (or proving!) sure statements – and what’s come out of that course of. “I believe most just lately the most important shifts have been the curler coaster that I am on with my authentic concept – going from spending 4 years actually crafting a extremely possible concept to placing that out into the world after which opening it as much as the criticism of spectators. But additionally individuals within the city, and individuals who perhaps had been named in my concept, form of shifted just a little bit as a result of I am listening to new views that I used to be by no means contemplating earlier than,” says Madison.
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She explains: “Round six months in the past, I began to actually second guess the trail that I used to be on. Am I heading down the correct avenue or ought to I pivot just a little bit and begin exploring a few of these different theories? And it is a theme that actually was explored and remains to be being explored partially two of the present.”
“Is it incorrect to be incorrect? That is how instances get solved,” Madison shares. John was shot and killed on July 11, 2002, in Belmont County, Ohio.
Madison was a younger woman and was initially instructed by her household her father died of a coronary heart assault. She solely realized the reality when she was 16.
However with few reminiscences of her father, this investigation led her not simply to the circumstances surrounding his tragic demise, however who he was as an individual. “It is rather tough at instances and, and straightforward in different methods. My dad did die after I was so younger that to start with, it actually did really feel like I used to be doing this a couple of stranger, as a result of I did not know him as nicely… to start with it felt like that form of distance.”
“And the extra I realized about my dad, the nearer he felt. It virtually felt like reminiscences had been unlocked, issues had been jogged that I used to be like, ‘oh, I really feel very near my dad.’
“I do say this quite a bit as a result of it’s a little humorous. You are not listening to about your mother and father, like, wildest night time out in faculty ever in your complete life.”
“And now I am listening to about my dad’s very wild previous and so in a manner, I virtually really feel a closeness to him in much less of a paternal sense and extra of like a good friend. I really feel like I am listening to about him as if we had been kicking it or hanging out, and that’s actually one of many silver linings of this, I would say, that I do get to know my dad in a manner that I by no means would have in any other case. Even when he had been alive at this time, he would have shielded me from lots of these items that I really now get to find out about.”
Whereas she’s doing an enormous job on her personal, technically, there are nonetheless police detectives which might be imagined to proceed engaged on chilly instances like this. “The [responding detectives] let me interview them for the present,” Madison instructed the Mirror.
“Granted, I did not know what it was going to be and I do not suppose they anticipated what it was going to be. Now they’re in all probability pondering, ‘if we might return in time, we might have by no means completed that.’ They did one interview ever on the native information saying that they had been grateful for my present that it gave this case the shot within the arm that it wanted.
“That was final July I’ve not heard from them in any respect. My emails go unanswered. I do not get cellphone calls again. So, I am not conscious and I am hesitant to say that they don’t seem to be doing something as a result of I have no idea. I do hope perhaps they’re behind the scenes engaged on it and attempting to piece issues collectively as nicely,” Madison says of her expertise with the regulation enforcement assigned to her father’s case.
Madison is doing a tricky job that the majority skilled detectives would not tackle: a homicide case involving a member of the family. However she’s studying the ropes rapidly, and determining how one can navigate her emotions through the course of.
“From the investigative facet, it’s actually tough to learn, particularly from a case file. Case information are fairly harsh. Not in a merciless sense, however it’s very black and white. These are written about lifeless our bodies, not individuals… They don’t seem to be storytellers, they’re writing… ‘bullet wound in head, fell on ground,’ gore.”
“To examine my dad in that was was extremely emotional and really arduous to course of as a result of it simply felt like he was fully dehumanized. And once more, that is not like one thing that is completed with malicious intent.,” Madison explains.
“That is simply how police information are written, however it was very, very arduous to examine. So coping with that was a bit unusual and I needed to actually discover ways to compartmentalize as I am doing investigation work to show off sure elements of my mind for a second.”
“Nevertheless it does all catch as much as me and there is days the place I am like, ‘okay, now I’ve to put in mattress for the subsequent two days’ as a result of I am simply fully emotionally spent. So it is rather totally different than it being form of a job the place I am investigating random issues, and I can clock out and in 9 to five after which go together with my good friend and be a totally regular particular person. I really feel like I’m not a standard particular person in any respect anymore. And my private life actually has suffered due to it.”
Madison depends on buddies and chosen household to assist her out when she’s had a very arduous day on the microphone. She’s additionally now reconnecting with sure relations because the investigation has drawn them nearer.
“The entire workforce that makes the present are my buddies and so they’re individuals who I really feel like I’ve collected them over time. My sound mixer is among the first people who bought on board…. [I asked] one other good friend to assist define… after which he stayed on and now’s my producer. And so it is similar to we have collected individuals and buddies. I’ve lots of buddies who’re supportive in that manner of, ‘how can we make this?’ and ‘how can we show you how to get this completed?'”
“After which additionally buddies who’re like, and let’s go, like, have a drink and go get dinner or go to a film and never discuss this in any respect,” laughed Madison, describing how she offers with the gravity of the podcast materials. Whereas she’s hopeful that her podcast will head her to the correct place, for now, “There’s been lots of shifts in all features of my life from form of opening up this could of worms.”
Madison McGhee’s “Ice Chilly Case” podcast is available on Spotify and different podcast platforms. After funding it herself for years, McGhee’s workforce has additionally arrange a GoFundMe for many who need to contribute to “closing the case.”
