CounterClock

It’s been four years since CounterClock released an episode on the unsolved murder of Denise Johnson. Delia unravels the newest leads she’s been following related to the case and revisits some of her initial reporting. This is the update episode listeners have been waiting for and now it's time to dive in.

On the heels of Season 5’s release, Delia updates listeners with new information and leads that have surfaced in the Bruce Cucchiara murder investigation.

Delia breaks down the details of an unexpected status hearing the judge overseeing Jeff Pelley's post-conviction petition for relief requested on May 31st, 2023.

Delia investigates who were Bruce's true friends and seeks answers from people in Covington who should have every reason to talk about Bruce, but won't. Plus a call to action from the New Orleans Police Department, Bruce's loved ones and Delia herself.

Delia discovers that in 2016 a hit was taken out on another victim in the same parking spot of the Mark VII apartments that Bruce died in. This crime was only partially solved and a trigger man wielding a revolver remains at large. A witness at both crime scenes speaks with CounterClock.

Delia investigates a mysterious warehouse fire in Covington two and a half years after Bruce's murder. Firefighters from the original scene and a hired fire investigation consultant try to make sense of items at the warehouse that don't belong.

In 2011 a business venture between Bruce and his friends failed and resulted in litigation. When a former disgraced business associate who leveled a lawsuit against Bruce and his friends makes bold claims about Bruce's murder, everyone takes pause.

Bruce's wife and close friends remember having strange conversations with Bruce in the months and weeks leading up to his murder. Delia investigates patterns in Bruce's behaviors and communications that paint a picture of a man in deep distress.

The water utility company that Bruce was a key executive at had a history of bad behavior including a federal water pollution conviction and massive fine. Delia learns the depths of Bruce's work at SELA and how integral he was in a multi-million-dollar business deal with St. Tammany Parish.

Delia explores a striking conflict regarding how Bruce's estate was handled and investigates connections between the characters in the story that raise a lot of questions.

Bruce was insured for $5 million by his employer which made him a company asset. Delia digs deep into his life insurance policies only to discover a puzzling settlement that even law enforcement says should never have happened. Photocopies of his last will and testament surface after his murder but his family can't find the originals or figure out why his employer won't fulfill Bruce's wishes. Complicated financial matters only deepen a growing rift between Bruce's family and his business associates.

Two months after Bruce's murder, his widow Anne received a text message from her dead husband's missing cell phone. NOPD detectives followed the lead to a woman who kept changing her story about how she ended up with it. Delia uncovers incongruent facts and a mysterious fire at an electronics store that raise doubts about where Bruce's phone ended up.

Delia analyzes Bruce's cellphone records and discovers an extremely important clue as well as a major misstep by homicide investigators.

Why was Bruce even in New Orleans East on the day he died? The answer eludes everyone, and Delia discovers some sketchy information tucked away in land and business records for the Mark VII Apartments.

Delia tracks down employees at the Mark VII Apartments on April 24th, 2012, and visits the crime scene in- person. A suspicious note found in Bruce's truck creates more questions than answers.

Louisiana's troubling history of political, racial and socioeconomic division leads Delia to understand New Orleans East better. NOPD's current cold case detective weighs in on the basic facts of the Bruce Cucchiara crime scene, a frustrating 'person of interest' sighting, and a code of silence that stunted the investigation from day one.

On Tuesday April 24th, 2012 someone shot and killed 57-year-old Bruce Cucchiara in a New Orleans East apartment complex. Who was Bruce? His children, ex wife and widow reflect on the man who's murder is the focal point of CounterClock Season 5.

When 57-year-old Bruce Cucchiara was gunned down in the parking lot of a New Orleans East apartment complex in 2012 his murder devastated his family and stumped law enforcement. For more than a year CounterClock's Delia D'Ambra has investigated the case and unraveled a web of bizarre information and circumstances about his life and those who benefitted from his death.

Delia speaks with former Desoto County cold case investigator James Kirdy to go over critical points of the John Welles case. She learns more about what James thinks happened to John and why he is convinced the teen was not a murder victim. This episode is an update for listeners who have streamed all episodes of CounterClock Season 4.

Host, Delia D'Ambra, and Executive Producer, Ashley Flowers, discuss listener questions that came in after Season 4 released. Delia gets her hands on evidence photos of John Welles's actual .22 Ruger Revolver and other critical pieces of evidence that have never been seen before. Associate producer David Payne and other voices from the season drop in to go over everything we know so far in this case and talk about theories that should be considered.

Delia finds herself confronting a state governing board head-on at one of their meetings. Everything about the integrity of Desoto County and FDLE's handling of the John Welles case comes into question and the pressure of the CounterClock investigation builds to a breaking point. Plus, a special finale call out for listeners to keep the momentum going.

The cleanliness of John's revolver brings into question whether it was ever the murder weapon at all. Delia uncovers data from the 12th District Medical Examiner's office that raises concern about the number of undetermined deaths recorded the same year John's manner of death was changed.

Delia discovers another .22 Magnum Ruger single-action six shot revolver loaded with 17 caliber ammunition was present on the Southeast Hansel property the day of John's murder. What happened to this revolver after John died? That's the million-dollar question that Delia tries to get to the bottom of. Plus, what a former DNA forensics lab that worked on the John Welles case says could be done to gather more information thanks to new advancements.

Delia brings in a forensic pathologist and a firearms reconstruction expert to evaluate the accidental shooting theory in the John Welles case. After months of testing, the group goes over their findings and the results are eye-opening.

14 years after John's murder, one Desoto County detective establishes a new theory about the case that does not line up with the evidence. Delia investigates how the information made its way to higher powers in the ME's office.

Delia takes a step back to consider all of the suspects known in the case and evaluate law enforcement's handling of the investigation after 2006. She and associate producer David Payne venture back out to SE Hansel Avenue to continue working the case only to find themselves face-to-face with Desoto County deputies and subjects of a 911 call.

Three years after John's murder a lead emerges thanks to a teenage domestic violence survivor coming forward. Delia learns that investigators looked into the lead but never really chased the guy down. Delia follows up and finds the man, who's now a convicted criminal serving time in a Florida state prison.

Delia investigates how a bitter land dispute and missing will could have been the motive for the people close to John to want him out of the equation.

Forensic results from FDLE are in and they create more questions than answers in the case. Delia tracks down Skip's former fiancé who reveals an interesting take on the crime and the love of her life.

Each primary witness’s story comes under the microscope as they recreate their version of events at the crime scene a week after John’s death. Delia investigates inconsistencies in Pat and Skip’s behaviors and examines their actions on the day of the crime. A second autopsy comes into play and tension builds at John's funeral.

Law enforcement in 2003 grills John’s step-uncle for more details about what he saw and did on the day John was killed. Delia explores the tactics interrogators used during the tense interview and investigates the ins and outs of Skip’s statements.

Investigators in 2003 question John's 16-year-old best friend about what he saw on the day of John’s death. Delia catches up with him 19 years after he was in the hot seat to go over where he stands on being treated as a suspect.

Desoto County Sheriff' Office has to start their murder investigation from square one and they're 24 hours behind. They call in help from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Delia breaks down detectives first interview with John's grandmother to explore her version of events. Plus, Delia examines why the results of John's toxicology screen became a major focal point for investigators.

When the medical examiner processing John’s body discovers an intact bullet in the back of his skull, the case turns into a murder investigation. Other clues unearthed during John’s autopsy bring up even more questions about the hours and days leading up to the his death. Delia explores where police followed their initial suspicions.

A teenage boy doing chores on his family’s farm in Arcadia, Florida is found face down in a watery ditch in the middle of a hot summer day. The simple investigation into his drowning takes a dark turn.

Investigative journalist, Delia D'Ambra, is back with a fourth season of CounterClock. She jumps right into investigating a teenager's mysterious death from 2003 in rural South Florida only to find that nothing is as it seems. Twists and turns are around every corner, and finding the truth of what really happened to 17-year-old John Welles proves to be Delia's most dangerous and difficult journey yet.

Less than a year after the release of CounterClock Season 3, Jeff Pelley is in an Indiana courtroom for the first time in more than a decade. His defense team has one shot at arguing his post-conviction case.

Host, Delia D'Ambra and Executive Producer Ashley Flowers team up to break down your burning questions about CounterClock Season 3 and update you on recent developments that couldn't make it into the 20 episodes!

Delia realizes the potential significance of the Pelley's .22 revolver much to the surprise of Jeff's defense attorney. The investigation into Eric Dawson's murder takes a surprising turn and puts Delia in the same room with investigators. Listeners can help push the case forward in a special finale call out. **IMPORTANT INFO FOR LISTENERS*** LEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE CONTACT PHONE: Public Information Office: (239) 477-1340 General: (239) 477-1000 EMAIL: PIO general: PublicInformationOffice@sheriffleefl.org Sergeant Marsha Sutphin: msutphin@sheriffleefl.org

Delia investigates whether or not a fictitious identity manufactured in South Florida in the late 1970's could tether Bob and Phil's history more than previously thought.

Delia discovers new information buried in the Pelley's phone records could be critical. Jeff's attorney makes a bold claim she plans to argue in court and Delia brings on a crime scene assessment expert to weigh in on the facts of the case.

The sentences for the defendants in Fort Myers raise suspicion about the court’s integrity and Delia learns startling facts about members of the prominent family.

Bombshell testimony from Eric Dawson's former secretary and an undercover informant reveals the suspects' depth of deception in stealing Eric's land days before he vanished.

Delia investigates the brutal murder of Eric Dawson in Fort Myers, Florida. A former lead detective on the case explains the complicated secrets of the slain land developer’s life and business. Family friends of the Pelleys’ emerge as persons of interest in Eric’s case.

The CounterClock investigation pivots to focus on the disappearance of a man in Southwest Florida seven months before the Pelley murders. Eric Dawson’s story is integrally important for the remainder of the series.

Delia revisits the history of an enormous financial scandal with Bob Pelley’s former employer, Landmark Bank. The CounterClock investigation reveals never-before heard testimony from a woman who told authorities that Bob was afraid of people from his past in Florida.

Jeff’s current defense attorney, Frances Watson, invites Delia to her “Pelley Case” war room at IU McKinney School of Law and lays out the facts she is using to contest Jeff’s conviction. Delia uncovers that former Saint Joseph County Police detectives now contradict some of their original theories.

Alan Baum admits his failures as Jeff’s defense attorney but insists the physical evidence in the case suggests more than one shooter was involved. The final verdict comes in and new characters in the Pelley family's life speak publicly, raising even more questions in the case.

The trial of the State of Indiana vs. Jeff Pelley begins in South Bend. Jeff’s lead defense attorney recalls important moments and delays that defined the high-profile proceedings. He explains to Delia the defense's strategy that was pushed to the brink.

The cold case homicide investigator who built a case against Jeff 13 years after the Pelley murders details his investigation and logic. Delia raises questions about a critical piece of evidence used to make the arrest that he can't explain.

Jeff's attempt to retrieve his inheritance early backfires and lands him in a world of trouble in Florida. Indiana police jump at the chance to try and get Jeff to confess to his family’s murders but that backfires too.

Delia re-investigates the narrow window of time police believed Jeff committed the four murders. Eyewitness testimony becomes key to knowing Jeff's whereabouts and the last time the Pelley family was seen alive.

Indiana police try to find physical evidence linking Jeff to the murders. Delia examines their methods and uncovers documents that contradict one another.

Original detectives on the case remember tracking down 17-year-old Jeff Pelley at a theme park in Illinois and Delia dissects the first videotaped interview authorities conducted with the teenager.

The Pelleys' next door neighbors remember critical details about the timeline leading up to the massacre and Delia learns the depths of mounting resentment between Jeff and Bob.

Bob, Dawn, Janel and Jolene's autopsies reveal details about their killer's mindset and Delia examines how reliable the police’s investigative case record really is.

Eyewitnesses and police investigators who discovered the Pelley murders in 1989 remember the horrific scene inside the Pelley home.

Delia launches her investigation into the Pelley family murders by going back in time. Interviews with family members and close friends establish critical information that explains what led the family from South Florida to Indiana.

Investigative journalist Delia D’Ambra is launching the third installment of audiochuck’s popular podcast CounterClock. Season 3 is the biggest investigation yet sending Delia hunting for answers across five decades. This 20-episode series will release in its entirety on April 29th, 2021 the 32-year anniversary of the Pelley family massacre in Lakeville, Indiana. Delia’s year-long investigation into the infamous family murders includes never-before-heard interviews from people closest to the victims and the initial police investigation. After reviewing more than 6,000 court documents, depositions, transcripts, and photographs, Delia has traveled from Northern Indiana to South Florida following leads that connect unsolved crimes in the Sunshine state to the Pelley family. This in-depth season is also closely examining the facts of the case that secured the 2006 conviction of Jeff Pelley.

Host Delia D’Ambra and CounterClock executive producer Ashley Flowers discuss details of the unsolved murder of Denise Johnson and the murder of Stacey Stanton. Delia goes through your email-submitted questions about both cases and tells all about her personal knowledge of nitty gritty details she’s gathered in both cases. Everything from new leads, to new potential evidence comes out in today’s Q & A episode.

In today's episode Delia sits down for a raw one-on-one conversation with Clifton Spencer. The two dive deep into how law enforcement investigated the murder of Stacey Stanton and why the criminal justice system kept Clifton behind bars for nearly 18 years. What is Clifton's life like now? What can be done to right wrongs? That's all covered in this exclusive discussion between an investigative journalist and a convicted murderer still trying to clear his name.

Clifton may be a free man but the state of North Carolina is still after a big part of his life. During the season finale one of his post-conviction attorneys speaks openly about what the future holds. Counterclock is also encouraging listeners to participate in demanding change from the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission and the North Carolina General Assembly. Visit our website for all the details you need to participate: www.counterclockpodcast.com

Delia explains Clifton Spencer's journey through the criminal justice system and why, time after time, evidence that could've helped free him, was never fully explored.

Delia reveals unbelievable connections between the murders of Stacey Stanton and Denise Johnson that include the same people, places and new jailhouse confessions.

Delia uncovers a violent history of crimes and suspicious behavior swirling around Mike Brandon. SBI agent, Donnie Varnell, is once again called upon to remember his former case work.

A bank receipt from an ATM becomes a critical piece of evidence. Eyewitnesses on Ananias Dare Street are able to place individuals at Stacey's apartment during the early morning hours of the day she was murdered.

Delia discovers that statements from Stacey's ex-boyfriend and his entourage are not adding up. Where they were and when leaves a lot of time unaccounted for on the night of the crime.

Delia interviews a case of characters who were inside the Green Dolphin Pub on the night of February 2, 1990. These witnesses shed more light on the circumstances leading up to Stacey's murder.

Clifton Spencer fights his conviction in court and wins a small victory...but a bigger battle is still head. Delia uncovers that the events from three decades ago still weigh heavy on key players in the case.

Within hours, authorities develop their prime suspect in the Stacey Stanton murder case. This lead takes investigators to a town just outside of Manteo and to a man who was with Stacey the night she died. The clock to make an arrest is ticking and racial biases start to come into play even when all the pieces don't quite fit into place.

In season two, host Delia D'Ambra is back in her home town to investigate another brutal murder from the 90s. To the local police and DA the case is closed and a man has been sentenced for the crime. But to those who knew the victim it is very much an unsolved case and an innocent man might have been wrongly convicted. In episode one Delia D'Ambra tracks down witnesses who remember the bloody crime scene inside Stacey Stanton's apartment on February 3rd, 1990. Early on, the investigation into how the young waitress died reveals unique clues about who committed the crime.

It’s been 30 years since someone brutally stabbed 28-year-old Stacey Stanton inside of her second-story apartment. Investigative journalist Delia D’Ambra is back in her hometown on the Outer Banks of North Carolina to figure out if a man was wrongfully convicted for the crime and if the real killer is still out there. The only way to understand Stacey’s story is to move counterclockwise in time; to go backwards to the point where her clock violently stopped. CounterClock Season Two will premier on Thursday, September 10th!

Who was really after who inside 2014 Norfolk Street on July 13th 1997? In 2020, a major update emerges in a cold case.

After two years of searching, Delia tracks down Teresa but runs into unforeseen twists.

Someone is still targeting Denise Johnson and a new crime taunts investigators in two neighboring small police departments.

Delia tracks down Denise’s long term boyfriends and discovers their overlapping information could point to the murderer’s motive.

CounterClock revisits the crime scene at 2014 Norfolk Street and uncovers there are secrets beneath the floorboards.

One of the last people to see Denise Johnson alive comes forward and Delia tracks down the man who lived next door to Denise in 1997.

CounterClock uncovers a terrible secret about Denise’s past in Florida and unearths a police report from Kill Devil Hills in 1996 that could point to who wanted her dead.

All of the former key law enforcement detectives on he Denise Johnson case go on record about the investigation and mistakes that were made.

A set of siblings start to suspect their downstairs tenant is involved in the crime and when police return to Norfolk Street, a new lead emerges.

Denise's roommate from 22 years ago remembers critical details that could help investigators and Delia uncovers a perplexing connection between Denise and the first eyewitness on scene.

In 1997, the first eyewitness on scene is detained by police and years later CounterClock tracks him down. Investigators begin to consider Denise’s four-legged companion a critical piece of evidence.

Kill Devil Hills police detectives, past and present, weigh in on the lagging progress in the case and the location of evidence from Denise's autopsy comes into question.

A killer remains at-large 22 years after a woman is brutally murdered inside her home in coastal North Carolina. Host, Delia D’Ambra, begins a new investigation into the unsolved murder starting with recollections from eyewitnesses.

An investigative journalist revisits her small coastal hometown in North Carolina to dive deep into a 22-year-old cold case murder and arson that's marred the image of where she grew up. This investigative series reveals new clues, never-before-heard interviews and tracks down potential suspects in the case.