Summary
Overview
This episode tells the story of Linda Sherman, a 27-year-old wife and mother who disappeared in St. Louis, Missouri in April 1985. What began as a missing persons case transformed into a homicide investigation when her skull was mysteriously found outside a restaurant five years later—a place her husband Don frequented regularly. The case reveals a pattern of domestic abuse, suspicious behavior, and a web of lies, yet despite overwhelming circumstantial evidence pointing to Don Sherman, no charges were ever filed. Today, Linda's daughter Patty continues fighting for answers as the case languishes in jurisdictional limbo.
Linda's Disappearance and Don's Suspicious Report
On April 24, 1985, Don Sherman reported his wife Linda missing to St. Louis County police, claiming he hadn't seen her since she left for work on Monday night. Don's story was riddled with inconsistencies from the start—he explained away his delayed report by saying Linda had left him before and he thought she ran off with a coworker boyfriend. However, what stood out most was that Linda hadn't called to check on their nine-year-old daughter Patty, which was completely out of character for the devoted mother.
- Don Sherman filed a missing persons report on April 24, 1985, two days after Linda was last seen
- Don claimed Linda left for work Monday night and never returned, suspecting she ran off with a coworker
- Linda hadn't contacted their nine-year-old daughter Patty, which was uncharacteristic
- Don and Linda had a heated argument early Monday morning when she arrived home 45 minutes late from work
- The last confirmed time Don claims to see Linda was 6:45 p.m. Monday when she left for work wearing blue jeans and a jersey with number 76
- A neighbor saw Linda's car return to the street at 8 p.m., but couldn't see who was driving
" Linda hasn't even so much as called to check in on their nine-year-old daughter, Patty. "
Discovery of Linda's Car and Don's Convenient Timing
Linda's family conducted their own search when police seemed slow to act. Following Don's suggestion to check a hotel near the airport where he claimed Linda sometimes met her boyfriend, they found nothing there but discovered her yellow Volkswagen Beetle in the airport's short-term parking lot on April 26th. In a bizarre coincidence, at the exact moment the car was being found, Don was at a 7-Eleven asking a police officer if they should check the airport for Linda's car—a timing so perfect it raised immediate red flags about staged evidence.
- Linda's family found her yellow Beetle in airport short-term parking on April 26th after Don suggested checking a hotel there
- The car doors were locked but the trunk wasn't; Linda's body was not inside
- At the exact moment the car was discovered, Don was asking a cop at 7-Eleven if police should check the airport
- Parking logs showed the car had been there since Tuesday or Wednesday, with no record of Linda taking a flight
- The neighbor who claimed to see Linda's car at 8 p.m. couldn't actually identify the driver
" A telltale sign of a staged scene oftentimes is that someone will lead you to the evidence they want you to find. Like, they think you're too stupid to piece it together on your own, so they make it overly obvious. "
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