Summary
Overview
This episode of The Deck examines the unsolved 2000 murder of Kelly D. Wilson, known on-air as Nikki Brooks, a popular radio DJ in Dayton, Ohio. When the 29-year-old failed to show up for her radio show on March 25, 2000, her boss discovered her body in her apartment bathroom. Despite an active investigation spanning over two decades, her killer remains at large. The case is complicated by the lack of forced entry, missing keys, and cleanup attempts at the scene, suggesting Kelly knew her attacker. Detective Melanie Phelps continues to pursue new leads and DNA testing in hopes of finally solving this devastating case.
Kelly Wilson's Disappearance and Discovery
On March 25, 2000, Kelly D. Wilson failed to show up for her popular evening radio show at U92 in Dayton, Ohio, alarming her boss Stan Boston who had never known her to be late. After being unable to reach her by phone, Stan visited her apartment at the Meadows complex where he also lived. With the help of maintenance staff and police, Deputy Johnny Campbell performed a welfare check and discovered Kelly's body in her bathroom, partially clothed and positioned halfway off the bathtub. The discovery shocked the radio community and her thousands of devoted listeners who knew her as DJ Nikki Brooks.
- Kelly D. Wilson, known as DJ Nikki Brooks, hosted the popular show 'Jammin' 8 at 8' on U92 Radio in Dayton
- Stan Boston became concerned when Kelly didn't arrive for her 8pm show on Monday, March 25, 2000
- Stan lived in the same apartment complex as Kelly and went to check on her around 7:30pm
- Deputy Johnny Campbell discovered Kelly's body in her bathroom, positioned halfway off the bathtub
- Kelly was wearing only a robe, bra, and t-shirt with nothing on below the waist
" He let himself in with a key and announced, you know, sheriff's office, you know, is anybody here, sheriff's office, anybody here? It's not a very big apartment. So as he went through, he then located Kelly on the floor, deceased, and made sure that everybody got, you know, stayed out, secured the scene, and called the supervisors and the detectives. "
The Nikki McCowan Connection
The episode opens with a surprising connection to another unsolved case - Nikki McCowan's disappearance in 2003. During the reinvestigation of Nikki McCowan's case, Kelly D. Wilson's name appeared in case reports because both cases share a crucial link: the Meadows apartment complex where Kelly lived and died in 2000 is the same location where Nikki's missing vehicle was found the following year. While this connection isn't given extensive attention in the reports and may not indicate a direct link between the cases, the coincidence is too significant for investigators or true crime enthusiasts to ignore, prompting the cross-posting of Kelly's case to the Crime Junkie feed.
- Kelly D. Wilson's case was originally covered on The Deck podcast in 2022
- During the reinvestigation of Nikki McCowan's case, Kelly's name appeared in case reports
- Both cases are connected by the Meadows apartment complex - where Kelly lived and died, and where Nikki's vehicle was found
- The connection between the cases may not be significant but warrants awareness of both cases' details
" It doesn't mean there is a connection, but I think any investigator, and therefore any crime junkie, would be remiss if you didn't know the facts of both cases. "
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