The Fall Line: True Crime

We continue our coverage of the cold case of Eric Nelams, and his family's fight for justice. Army veteran Eric Nelams was shot and killed outside his Phenix City, Alabama home in 2003, just days after refusing to take blame for an embezzlement scheme. His family believes the timing was no coincidence—and 22 years later, his homicide case remains cold.

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

If you have information about Eric Nelams' murder: Call Crime Stoppers of Central Alabama at 334-215-STOP (7867). There is a $15,000 reward.

Army veteran and father Eric Nelams, 32, was shot and killed outside his Phenix City, Alabama home on September 26, 2003. Multiple suspects ambushed Eric in his carport while he was leaving for work in what police believe was a planned attack.

Twenty-two years later, Eric's murder remains unsolved. His family believes someone in the interconnected communities of Phenix City, Columbus, and Atlanta knows what happened that morning and why Eric was targeted for killing—and they've worked for decades to finally get justice for Eric.

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

If you have information about Eric Nelams' murder: Call Crime Stoppers of Central Alabama at 334-215-STOP (7867). There is a $15,000 reward.

The Toya family continues seeking answers after discovering evidence they believe was overlooked—including another woman's ID found in Shawna's car and missing rent money.

MMIWR/MMIP advocate Darlene Gomez discusses systemic issues in Indigenous victim investigations and cold case challenges. The family shares how they honor Shawna's memory while continuing their fight for justice in this unsolved death investigation.

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

Jemez Pueblo artist Shawna Toya was found unresponsive in her car at an Albuquerque, New Mexico park on August 1, 2021, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Her family discovered evidence—another person's ID in Shawna's vehicle, missing rent money, and undocumented trauma on her body—that they believe warrants further investigation.

Our coverage features interviews with Shawna's mother, renowned traditional potter Geraldine Toya, and MMIWR/MMIP advocate and lawyer Darlene Gomez as the family continues seeking answers about her death.

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.

Forensic anthropologists Dr. Amy Michael and Dr. Jen Bengtson reveal a critical gap in missing-persons databases and unidentified-remains cases. No-body homicide victims—those identified as murdered, but without recovered remains—may not appear in forensic identification databases, creating problems for cold-case investigations and forensic anthropology work.

Their research examines how missing persons cases, forensic databases, and unidentified human-remains investigations may be disconnected, which can in turn affect victim identification efforts nationwide.

Season 24 of The Fall Line covers missing persons, unsolved homicides, and unresolved deaths across the United States.