Secrets of the Trees

By: J.A. Arellano
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  • Summary

  • More than 400,000 people die from homicides each year, and a greater number than that go missing annually. In the United States alone, there are over 200,000 unsolved murders and missing persons cases. Secrets of the Trees covers the stories of missing and murdered individuals with the aim of raising awareness for cases that have become cold and for cases who are less likely to receive media attention due to people's biases, discussing cases that have happened across the world, and across the decades. Thank you for listening.
    Copyright 2025
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True Crime
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Episodes
  • The Unsolved Murder of Jenna Franks

    The Unsolved Murder of Jenna Franks
    Apr 5 2023
    On February 24th, 2021, street personnel were clearing debris from a ditch when they found a body in a wooden area adjacent to a nearby creek, in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The body was identified as 34-year-old transgender woman, Jenna Franks. It’s been two years since her brutal death and her case is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Let’s break down the details. Rewards At this time, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for the murder of Jenna Franks. Anyone with information regarding this case, no matter how insignificant you believe the information may be, should contact the Charlotte Office of the FBI at (704) 672-6100 or the Jacksonville Police Department’s Crime Stoppers tip line at (910) 938-3273. Sources https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/nearly-240-anti-lgbtq-bills-filed-2022-far-targeting-trans-people-rcna20418 https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights https://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news_times/article_68d57c98-b9c2-11ed-9942-8735c597bfe1.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJ-kxmVPdk https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/ncvs-lgbt-violence-press-release/ https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/21/africa/uganda-lgbtq-law-passes-intl/index.html https://www.euractiv.com/section/non-discrimination/news/ilga-europe-reports-spike-in-violence-towards-lgbtqi/ https://www.ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/2023/full_annual_review.pdf https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/jenna-franks https://www.witn.com/2023/02/24/two-years-after-jacksonville-transgender-murder-15000-reward-remains-active/ https://www.healthline.com/health/transgender/deadnaming#impact https://www.witn.com/2021/06/01/autopsy-says-jacksonville-transgender-woman-was-stabbed-multiple-times/ https://www.facebook.com/KaylaSchmidtTV/videos/280413803480981 https://www.pghlesbian.com/2021/02/body-of-34-year-old-trans-woman-jenna-franks-found-in-north-carolina-community/ Crime Map This crime, along with all the other crimes and events covered on this channel, have been logged on the interactive Secrets of the Trees Crime Map which can be found below. Note when using map: locations of crime areas are marked by their city or town, not the exact address. If you zoom in all the way, that location is more than likely NOT the actual location of the crime scene. This is done on purpose. https://bit.ly/3yuWZvP Contact Case recommendations? Corrections? Questions? Requests? Contact me! Secretsofthetrees1@gmail.com DISCLAIMER The information provided by Secrets of the Trees is for general informational purposes only. All information in the episode is provided in good faith, however I make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information in the episode. Views expressed within are my own personal opinions and are at NO POINT intended to slander any individual. All sources and links are provided so that you may formulate your own opinion. Listener discretion is HIGHLY advised. Support Secrets of the Trees by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/secrets-of-the-trees Find out more at https://secrets-of-the-trees.pinecast.co
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    13 mins
  • The Suspicious Death of Lennon Lacy

    The Suspicious Death of Lennon Lacy
    Mar 23 2023

    On August 29th 2014, Lennon Lacy, a 17-year-old black teenager, was found dead, hanging by either two belts or a dog leash and a belt (depending on which source you read) tied together to form a noose, from the frame of a swing set in the center of a predominately white populated mobile home community in the small town of Bladenboro in eastern North Carolina.

    It only took four days for police to declare that Lennon had committed suicide, without investigating to answer the most glaring question: was Lennon lynched?

    Let’s break down the details. 

    Sources

    https://www.themarshallproject.org/2014/12/16/was-lennon-lacy-lynched https://www.wwaytv3.com/family-speaks-out-5-years-after-lennon-lacys-death/ https://www.essence.com/news/naacp-looking-hanging-death-north-carolina-teen-lennon-lacy/ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/19/lennon-lacy-hanging-north-carolina-fbi-hate-crime https://www.wect.com/2021/01/20/lennon-lacy-fbi-file-how-authorities-determined-suicide-not-lynching/ https://www.facingsouth.org/2014/12/the-strange-death-of-lennon-lacy-another-lynching-.html https://indyweek.com/news/archives-news/march-saturday-honor-lennon-lacy/ https://www.nixapublicschools.net/Page/6741 https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/crime/2016/06/17/da-closes-investigation-into-lennon/22391792007/ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/19/lennon-lacy-hanging-north-carolina-fbi-hate-crime https://www.cnn.com/2014/12/15/justice/north-carolina-lennon-lacy/index.html https://www.alwaysinseasonfilm.com/

    Crime Map

    This crime, along with all the other crimes and events covered on this channel, have been logged on the interactive Secrets of the Trees Crime Map which can be found below. Note when using map: locations of crime areas are marked by their city or town, not the exact address. If you zoom in all the way, that location is more than likely NOT the actual location of the crime scene. This is done on purpose.

    https://bit.ly/3yuWZvP

    Contact

    Case recommendations? Corrections? Questions? Requests? Contact me!

    Secretsofthetrees1@gmail.com

    DISCLAIMER

    The information provided by Secrets of the Trees is for general informational purposes only. All information in the episode is provided in good faith, however I make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information in the episode. Views expressed within are my own personal opinions and are at NO POINT intended to slander any individual. All sources and links are provided so that you may formulate your own opinion.

    Listener discretion is HIGHLY advised.

    Support Secrets of the Trees by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/secrets-of-the-trees

    Find out more at https://secrets-of-the-trees.pinecast.co
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    32 mins
  • Amanda Gonzales MAJOR CASE UPDATE! Suspect Arrested After 21 Years!

    Amanda Gonzales MAJOR CASE UPDATE! Suspect Arrested After 21 Years!
    Feb 25 2023

    Major update in Amanda's case! After 21 years, a suspect has been charged in connection to her murder. Amanda, who was 19 and four months pregnant at the time of her death, was murdered by asphyxiation at a now defunct U.S. Army base in Germany.

    We will be following as details emerge!

    Sources

    https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-arrested-cold-case-murder-military-base-germany

    Crime Map

    This crime, along with all the other crimes and events covered on this channel, have been logged on the interactive Secrets of the Trees Crime Map which can be found below. Note when using map: locations of crime areas are marked by their city or town, not the exact address. If you zoom in all the way, that location is more than likely NOT the actual location of the crime scene. This is done on purpose.

    https://bit.ly/3yuWZvP

    Contact

    Case recommendations? Corrections? Questions? Requests? Contact me!

    Secretsofthetrees1@gmail.com

    DISCLAIMER

    The information provided by Secrets of the Trees is for general informational purposes only. All information in the episode is provided in good faith, however I make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information in the episode. Views expressed within are my own personal opinions and are at NO POINT intended to slander any individual. All sources and links are provided so that you may formulate your own opinion.

    Listener discretion is HIGHLY advised.

    Support Secrets of the Trees by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/secrets-of-the-trees

    Find out more at https://secrets-of-the-trees.pinecast.co
    Show More Show Less
    2 mins

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