The Unsolved: John Leonard
A murder victim's daughter is working to find the killer 52 years later.
Twin sisters from Monroe County have never given up their search for their father's killer, even 52 years after his murder.
John Leonard's case may be unsolved, but it hasn't gone cold, thanks in part to the efforts of his daughters.
Lori and Debbie Leonard were just 13 at the time.
"I would like, and I think you too, and I know our three brothers always wanted as well, peace of mind to know why it was done and who it was," Debbie said.
The twins are the only two members of their family still alive. They're in their sixties now and are renewing what's been a lifelong investigation.
In Lori's kitchen in Sciota, the twins pour over the story of their lives and the story of their dad's death.
September 8th, 1970
John Leonard was a cab driver in Cresco. On September 8, 1970, he answered a call at the once-iconic Buck Hill Falls Inn that was demolished in 2017.
According to police reports, a man approached the cab at Buck Hill Falls carrying a shopping bag. Moments later, Leonard was found near his cab with gunshot wounds to his head.
Lori and Debbie remember that day like it was yesterday. But only now are they getting a look at the massive police case file. The Monroe County DA's office agreed to hand it over this summer after releasing part of it to a reporter.
"They gave us a 900-page report, and we're not through it yet, but we're finding so many inconsistencies and inaccuracies," Lori said.
They've got binders and notebooks, along with note cards and newspaper clippings pasted on a large whiteboard in Lori's home. Lori's husband, Randy Zona, is helping in the investigation as well.
"Facts jump out at you, and as soon as we get a fact, we'll make a note of it, and we'll put it up there, and we'll see how everything lines up," Zona said.
Among the inconsistencies are some of the most basic facts of the case, including when John Leonard died. The coroner's report says 1:50 p.m., but the state police report says nearly an hour later at 2:45 p.m.
There's also a sketch of a possible suspect that was never released before this year.
The coroner's report says 1:50 p.m. But, the state police report says nearly an hour later - 2:45 p.m.
There's also a sketch of a possible suspect that was never released before this year.
Madeleine Leonard's case
The twins have a lot more digging to do because they're hoping this information solves two cases.
Lori and Debbie believe their mother, Madeleine, was also murdered.
"Lori and I always have that sixth sense in your stomach, and it was like, something happened," Debbie said.
Madeleine called home in February of 1973 and told her daughters she was going to check out a lead in John's case. She was killed in a car crash hours later.
"When she called us and said, 'I have a tip on your dad,' somebody lured her out," Debbie added.
Investigators in Monroe County have never called Madeleine Leonard's death a homicide. Even as recently as this summer, investigators told the Leonard sisters they would not exhume their mother's body because there's not enough evidence to suggest she was murdered.
But the Leonards are convinced both cases are connected and that someone who knows what happened is still out there.
"It's been this way for 52 years for our dad and 50 for our mom now. So, somebody still has to know something. They're still alive, just come forward and tell us so we can bring this to resolution and have peace of mind and honor them as they should be honored," Debbie said.
In Lori and Debbie Leonard, a killer may just have met their match.