The Candle in Her Hand: How a Padlock Cracked a Killer

The Candle in Her Hand: How a Padlock Cracked a Killer A single pink spiral birthday candle, dry and unlit, was found balanced in an open palm on a rock at Fenwick Creek at 5:50 AM on July 14, 1993 - and it took 29 years, a missing Ace-140 padlock, and one frozen tube of fingernail scrapings to begin answering why. Who left that candle and how did a six-dollar-forty-nine padlock bought two hours before Emily Ramsey vanished end up missing until it reappeared decades later? In this episode, we follow the facts from Emily Ramsey’s routine life and the small details that didn’t fit - the opened box of pink spiral candles with one gone, the Ace Hardware receipt for a padlock in her purse, and the sealed fingernail sample that survived audits and moves. How did a retained evidence tube, a patient file clerk’s habits, and modern forensic genealogy connect to a long-cold disappearance? Person: Emily Ramsey Date: July 14-15, 1993 Location: Fenwick Creek; Callister Street (Dellbrook) Item: Padlock, model Ace-140, $6.49 Analyst: Amy Hensley, forensic genetic genealogy, April 2022 - 5:50 AM on July 14, 1993: man walking Fenwick Creek found a single hand with a pink spiral birthday candle resting in its palm. - Emily Ramsey was 32, worked 7:00 AM-3:00 PM, lived in the lower duplex on Callister Street, and fed two cats, Roscoe and Wren, on a strict schedule. - On July 13, 1993 at 4:17 PM Emily was last seen at Ace Hardware; receipt in her purse listed one Ace-140 padlock costing $6.49. - A sealed tube of fingernail scrapings from Emily’s autopsy, with a partial male DNA profile, was stored in the county lab freezer since summer 1993. - In April 2022 Amy Hensley obtained the tube; modern STR extraction produced a full profile that was run through CODIS and against primary suspects. 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].