A Badge Surfaces in the River: The Michelle York Secret

A Badge Surfaces in the River: The Michelle York Secret A laminated child-services badge washed up face-up in the Sable River on July 9, 2011 - the photo still legible, the date printed 1984, and the woman pictured already dead for eleven days. How did a badge issued by Carver-Blaine Children's Services in Holt County travel sixty miles to a trotline float and what secret did it finally expose? In this episode, we follow the chain of small, precise discoveries: a yellowed envelope labeled WENDY - PLACEMENT, a DNA test submitted by a middle-school teacher, and a found-item log at the Sable Township sheriff's annex that linked a river badge to an obituary. What hidden connection spanned fifty-four years and tied Wendy Bowers to Michelle York? Person: Wendy Bowers Person: Michelle York Date: July 9, 2011 Location: Sable River below Haddock Road bridge Agency: Carver-Blaine Children's Services - Badge recovered by Julie West from a trotline float on July 9, 2011 at approximately early morning. - Badge photograph and name read “Michelle York” with an issuance date of 1984. - Wendy Bowers found a manila envelope labeled “WENDY - PLACEMENT” after her mother’s death in 2008 containing a one-page summary from Carver-Blaine. - Wendy submitted a consumer DNA saliva sample in May 2011 after a colleague mentioned testing; the platform later matched her to a profile named M. York. - Michelle York died June 28, 2011 in Paston, Ohio; her obituary ran the same day and services were private. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].