Podcast sheds new light on old cold case

It’s a case that shocked the community, devastated families and left law enforcement officials struggling to solve. And this week, close to 38 years later, a podcast will be unveiled that tells the story of that frightful night and the years that followed in which one suspect was initially charged in the case and later released.

The podcast, written by Christgau, tells the story of the murders, told in the voices and words of those who lived the story. More than 10 actors were hired and worked for more than a year to create the podcast, an eight-episode chronology of the Payless murders.

According to narrator and assistant director Alison Gamlen, the podcast is both moving and entertaining.

“Every story falls on the spectrum of empathy and curiosity. People wonder, how did this happen — and this case is a classic whodunit,’” she said. “This story has a big connection to San Mateo families and we strongly hope that through this we can generate some leads and maybe bring some closure to the families,” said Gamlen, drama teacher at Hillsdale High School.

Christgau was originally opting to write a book. He said he has been researching the case for more than 20 years after being offered rare access from then-police chief John Stangl to police interrogation tapes. Stangl also allowed Christgau to interview detectives involved in the case after the investigation trail had gone cold.

“It was 20 years after the incident and the police chief said: ‘we’ve got nothing to lose, you can come and interview me and other detectives and we’ll sit and read through the documents with you so that you have the whole story,” said Christgau.

This rare look at never-before public information was the launch of what would then lead Christgau to interview more than 100 people close to the case including family members, detectives, lawyers, Payless employees and friends and families of the victims. While the dramatic elements of the case itself were of significant interest to Christgau, it was predominantly compassion that drove him to dig deeper.

“This is an effort to try to get people to understand the tragedy of the court dismissal of the suspect and the fact that the bad guys have not been caught,” he said.

While a podcast might seem like a new-age method of reaching an audience, the more listeners it has, the more power and awareness it might drive, he contends. The end result for all involved in the case is to bring justice to the three families who lost so much and to the law enforcement agents that were so affected by this tragic night. It might also help to stimulate some memories and perhaps generate new leads.

A $75,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. In February 2011, San Mateo police held a press conference to discuss new leads but it couldn’t specify what those leads were at the time for fear it would interfere with the investigation.

Christgau admits that it can be difficult to write a story without a clear ending. But some stories, he said, need telling to produce a conclusion.

And that’s the hope here.

The Payless Murders Podcast will hold a podcast launch event Sunday, Aug. 27, in the San Mateo Public Library, 55 W. Third St., San Mateo, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Many close to the case including victims’ family members, detectives and actors will be at the event.

Episode 1 and 2 can be accessed on Aug. 29 on iTunes, through the website below, Instagram or Facebook.

For more information visit http://www.thepaylessmurders.org/listen.html.