We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vincent Strange. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vincent below.

Vincent, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I’ve always been intrigued by mysteries and who-dunnits, not only for the challenge they present but also because I believe in accountability and justice. In 2017, when we began speaking with the families of missing persons and unsolved homicide victims, it became clear that there were a ton of folks whose stories have been forgotten and some whose stories have never really been told at all. The ripple effect a murder or disappearance has stretches way beyond the victim, particularly in unresolved cases where uncertainty compounds upon loss and grief. With “gone cold,” we set out to tell these forgotten and untold stories in hopes that, in some little way, we can help bring renewed attention that might lead to new information.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In late 2016, Erica and I were casually, at first, researching the 1974 murder of Carla Walker. Though there was one social media account dedicated to the unsolved case, activity was virtually nonexistent. We thought the case was solvable, so we began deeply researching and speaking with Carla’s loved ones. Having no background in journalism or investigations, started the weekly podcast “gone cold – texas true crime” seemed like our best chance at both reinvigorating Fort Worth locals’ passion to see #JusticeForCarlaWalker and gain the attention of those who weren’t familiar with the case.

We are proud to say that Carla Walker’s case was solved after 47 years, when in 2021, Glen Samuel McCurley pleaded guilty to her murder.

Our mission at “gone cold” is to tell the forgotten and often ignored stories of missing persons and the victims of unsolved violent crimes; our intentions are to raise awareness, reach folks with potential information, and give families an outlet to tell their stories.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

While telling our very first story to the true crime podcasting world, we set our sights on potentially solving the case by investigating the crime. It became clear during the course of this that the suspect in the case was a total stranger, one who had never been on the public’s or the family’s radar. Unless you can access the police file, in many cases, we discovered that you can investigate your heart out, but if you’re missing key pieces of information, it’s likely you’ll ultimately be unsuccessful. While we still investigate for our own piece of mind and to find all the answers we can, we do not portray the podcast as investigative. Rather, we can be more helpful to both law enforcement and the families of victims by telling a story and raising awareness. Our instincts to unlearn our original intent and shift focus to was affirmed as the right decision when Carla Walker’s slaying was finally solved. The man who killed her was someone completely unknown to the public and Carla’s family, a name buried deep in the Fort Worth Police’s cold case file.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

One of the reasons a podcast was such a viable option for the stories we wanted to tell was the price of producing it and the forgiving learning curve. From mic to editing software to an RSS feed host, the production side of “gone cold” cost us little. Now, the cost of researching was substantially more, which included some travel, several website subscriptions, and a surprising amount of cash in microfilm copies at public libraries. The most capital Erica and I put in came from our passion, time, blood, sweat, and literal tears.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gonecoldpodcast
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gonecoldpodcast
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/gonecoldpodcast
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcast

Image Credits
Main photograph by Carley Blackman