The Short Family Murders

Citizen Detective

Episode 17 The Short Family Murders
In August 2002, a brutal double murder shocked the residents of the Oak Level community in Henry County, Virginia. Michael and Mary Short were found dead in their home, the victims of an execution style shooting. There was no sign of robbery as cash and other valuable items were in the home. What was missing however was the Short's 9 year old daughter, Jennifer. A search of the area failed to locate her and despite an Amber alert going out, there were no signs of her.
As police worked to figure out who murdered this average Virginia family and presumably abducted the youngest member, the community feared that a killer was moving amongst them and was on edge. Six weeks later, a horiffic discovery would take the case in a new direction. Jennifer's decomposed remains were located on a property in Stoneville NC, about 30 miles from the Short home. Like her parents, Jennifer too had been shot to death. An autopsy could not reveal if she has been sexually assaulted.
News of the triple murder spread like wild fire through the area between where the Shorts lived, and where Jennifer's remains were found, and soon a potential suspect would emerge. A tip led authorities to investigate a man who lived not far from where Jennifer's remains were found. What tipsters told police about this potential suspect sounded almost too hard to believe, That's because it was.The tipsters had made up a story about this man and police spent time and resources investigating him.
The case went cold. Along the way, it was revealed that local police investigating the case were caught up in a string of illegal activities that overshadowed the investigation into the Short Family Murders. New leadership within the police department aided by the State Police & FBI vowed to keep trying to solve the case. One of the few clues police had to work with was a mysterious man in a distinct truck seen parked close to the Short home shortly after the murders. The man described as a White Male in his 40s was seen sitting in a White Single Cab truck with wooden side rails. Police wanted to talk to this man, but he was never identified.
Today, more than 20 years after the murders of the Short Family, the case remains unsolved.
If you or someone you know has any new details regarding this case you can contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-225-5324 or call crime stoppers at 276-632-7463 or 336-349-9683.
In this episode, the team discusses the clues, and possible evidence that may one day reveal the killer or killers of the Short Family.
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The Citizen Detective team includes:
Co-Hosts- Mike Morford, Alex Ralph, and Dr. Lee Mellor
Writing and Research- Alex Ralph
Technical Producer- Andrew Gray
Production Assistant- Ashley Monroe
Suzanna Ryan- DNA Expert
Cloyd Steiger- Retired Seattle PD Homicide Detective