CCSO Originals

Young mother Filomena Garay-Chavez is missing. It’s a long night for those in the house on State Road 29 in Immokalee, Florida.  Deputies are called out twice to investigate.

Early the next morning, Detective Kevin O’Neill takes the case. He outlines how the investigation begins and reviews the initial evidence gathered.

What evidence is left at the scene? Senior Crime Scene Investigator Alicia Craig analyzes the physical evidence in the case and elaborates on the challenges it poses for detectives.

In 2022, the cold case is turned over to Detective Derek Holden. He provides his insights on cold cases and discusses his perspective on where the Filomena Garay-Chavez case stands today.

Episode 1 of Mostly Harmless explores the case of a deceased hiker whose body was found in the Florida Everglades in July 2018. We start with what the 911 caller saw and follow the investigation as detectives learn that the man was a thru-hiker. After that, the case goes cold.Host: Kristine Gill, Media Relations Specialist for the Collier County Sheriff's OfficeGuests:Kim Cherney, Criminal Research Investigator with the Collier County Sheriff's OfficeKevin O'Neill, homicide investigator with the Collier County Sheriff's OfficeKelly Fairbanks, trail angelNichalaus Horton, 911 caller and hikerMisti Little, thru hiker and host of the Orange Blaze podcast on the Florida Trail orangeblaze.thegardenpathpodcast.com/about/
Thanks to Tyler Socash of Foot Stuff Podcast for background on the thru-hiking community. www.footstuffpodcast.com/
Music: Art of Silence by Uniq www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-pYCGx0C4
For photos of the hiker, and more on the podcast, visit www.colliersheriff.org/news/sworn-statement.