The Springfield Three is one of the first original podcasts we released in May 2021. Now with more than half a million downloads — and three new bonus episodes out today — we caught up with series host Anne Roderique-Jones on the evolution of the series, and what’s in store for listeners in the bonus episodes.
editaudio: Springfield is your hometown, what was your favorite thing about growing up there?
Anne Roderique-Jones: I always wanted to live in a big city, but I’m so grateful for the foundation that comes from growing up in the Ozarks. My favorite thing would be the people with whom I’m close with. My entire family lives in the Ozarks and I have a group of girlfriends, most that I’ve known since kindergarten, who are still my closest friends. We take a yearly trip to Table Rock Lake, which would be my second favorite thing about this region.
editaudio: How did the [Springfield Three podcast] series come to be?
Anne Roderique-Jones: This story still resonates with the town and it’s been a constant thread of conversation since 1992. After moving away from home, I’d tell others about the disappearance — and even though they didn’t know about the Ozarks or the women — they were drawn to the case. I always imagined it would be a book, but I was running one day, listening to a podcast and thought — this is it. This is the best platform for telling the story.
“I wanted the families of the victims to feel comfortable with my work and wanted to create something that was intriguing without being sensationalized.”
editaudio: What were your hopes when you set out to tell the story?
Anne Roderique-Jones: There’s a lot of misinformation about this case floating around the internet, and I wanted to tell the story as accurately and thoroughly as possible. It took nearly two years and 11 episodes to do it. I wanted the families of the victims to feel comfortable with my work and wanted to create something that was intriguing without being sensationalized. In addition, I wanted to use a podcast as a platform to tell this story to a new and broader audience.
editaudio: What surprised you the most about the story of the Springfield Three?
Anne Roderique-Jones: I think that the most surprising thing about the Springfield Three is how deeply people still care about this case — and it’s not just locals. There’s a Facebook group dedicated to this disappearance and just last month, folks (some who’d never even been to the Ozarks) distributed fresh flyers about the women in their own hometowns.
editaudio: What can listeners expect in the bonus episodes?
Anne Roderique-Jones: In the bonus episodes, we finally get to hear from Bartt Streeter, the brother of Suzie and son of Sherrill — both of whom disappeared that night. Bartt has been skeptical of the media and — as a rule — does not do interviews. After he listened to the podcast, he allowed us to interview him for the bonus episodes. We also hear from a former journalist who broke this case and his rather interesting commentary about local law enforcement. And we hear from a woman that lived with one of the suspects, Robert C. Cox; it was really the first time we got a first-hand peek into his life and mind.
“this podcast allowed me to speak with incredibly genuine and often vulnerable people about a subject that’s so close to them.”
editaudio: What’s been your favorite part of making the podcast?
Anne Roderique-Jones: My favorite part has been the people I’ve had the privilege of interviewing. I’d spent my career writing about celebrities and chefs and fitness gurus; this podcast allowed me to speak with incredibly genuine and often vulnerable people about a subject that’s so close to them. This is the work I love most, and I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity to learn that later in my career.
Anne Roderique-Jones is the Head of Content for ShermansTravel Media and has been working with the company for nearly a decade. She’s had a column in SELF.com and is a contributor to Architectural Digest. Her writing has appeared in print and/or online versions of Conde Nast Traveler, Vogue, Travel & Leisure, AFAR, Shape, Town & Country, Saveur, Elle Decor, Southern Living, Marie Claire, Men’s Health, and The Knot among other outlets.
Anne is the writer and host of the podcast, The Springfield Three: A Small-Town Disappearance, in production with editaudio.
You can follow her on Instagram at @anniemarie_
