There are nearly 400 unsolved homicides in Toledo dating back to 1950.
What’s it going to take to finally solve them?
Maybe a podcast.
The Blade is launching a new audio series, Code: 18: Unsolved, to take a deep dive into these mysteries in an attempt to help solve them. Episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now.
Each season, we pick one cold case and re-examine what facts are known, with help from Toledo police, and re-interview witnesses about what they remember.
We’re looking for anything that may have been missed or withheld as we carefully piece together a victim’s last known moments and try to make sense of the gap between life and death.
The first case, launching Monday, tells the story of Alvin Edwin Darrow, Jr., who went missing three years ago today — July 27, 2017.
It’s an unusual case in that Mr. Darrow, or Hopper as he’s better known, has never officially been considered a homicide victim. By legal standards, he is still a missing person; his body, never found.
He just disappeared.
But, after nearly three years without a trace of evidence to suggest he’s alive, police admit that Mr. Darrow is presumed dead.
“The case law sort of indicates that you have to prove that it would be completely out of character for him to go missing the way he did. And so far, I think we're kind of there,” Toledo Police Sergeant Roy Kennedy said.
Mr. Darrow left behind his beloved dog and all worldly possessions, and his finances remain untouched, Sergeant Kennedy said.
“It’s my belief that he is dead,” Sergeant Kennedy said. “Period, end of story.”
The circumstances surrounding Mr. Darrow’s disappearance is suspicious.
It starts with a stolen motorcycle on his property, which could be either a coincidence or a motive. But in his final known moments, what is certain is that he was fighting with his youngest son, Tim Darrow, over that bike.
What happened next is unknown.
In his first interview since the disappearance, Tim Darrow says he left and never saw what happened to his father. He says men snatched his father and drove away with him in a van. He says a group of bikers showed up with guns to reclaim the property that belonged to them and his father fled on a motorcycle.
He also shares new information never before told to the police.
Mr. Darrow is never seen or heard from again.
Listen to the podcast as the investigation unfolds, and help put this code 18 to rest.
Regardless of how much time has passed in any of the cases you’ll hear on the podcast, they remain open investigations. If you have any information about one of the homicides discussed, you can call Toledo Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111.
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever else you listen. You can also find episodes and additional case information, including photos and videos, at toledoblade.com/code18.
Code 18 is produced in-house at The Blade. It is reported and written by reporter and host, Kaitlin Durbin. Phil Kaplan is the producer, with original art and music by Danielle Gamble. Additional music is provided by Joel Roberts. Editing assistance comes from Michael Walton, Michael Brice, and Kim Bates.
If you would like to recommend a cold case for review, please send an email to kdurbin@theblade.com.
First Published July 16, 2020, 5:53 p.m.
