New podcast examining Rhonda Sue Coleman case is out now. Here is how to listen
A new podcast about the Rhonda Sue Coleman case by Sean Kipe was released on Tuesday.
Coleman was killed 31 years ago in the town of Hazlehurst. She was last seen leaving a high school party. No one has ever been arrested in the case.
Kipe recently produced “In the Red Clay,” a podcast that details the story of Billy Sunday Birt and his time with the Dixie Mafia. After the release of the podcast, Kipe was flooded with requests to look into cold cases from around the country.
Jody Ponsell, a private investigator hired by Rhonda’s parents Gayle and Milton Coleman to investigate their daughter’s murder, reached out to Kipe about the case. Kipe said he was instantly intrigued. The Maryland native said Coleman’s hometown of Hazlehurst reminded him of his own small hometown.
“I thought there was something special about it. I don’t know exactly what drew me to this story,” Kipe said. “It is a horrible unfortunate event and this small town not really being able to get over this murder after 31 years.”
Kipe said he believes this case is much closer to being solved than a lot of people realize, similar to the Tara Grinstead case that puzzled investigators for years. The “Up and Vanished” podcast sparked an influx of tips, which ultimately led to the arrest of Bo Dukes and Ryan Duke, who are still awaiting trial.
The hope for the new podcast from Kipe, “Fox Hunter,” is for someone to come forward with information that leads to the case being solved. Kipe plans to help increase the $25,000 reward on the podcast by getting listeners to help donate to a fund.
The goal is to get it so high that someone can’t sit silent any longer, Kipe said. He is hopeful that tips will begin to pour in from people who maybe have small pieces of information that they never thought would be relevant but could be key to solving the case.
Kipe would love nothing more than to be a small part in helping get the Colemans justice for their daughter.
“There is no notoriety that would compare to being able to sit with the Colemans and saying, ‘Now you know,’” Kipe said. “One thing that I learned is that it is the whole community who felt this. And to be able to be a part in helping in some way to lead the GBI or investigators to solving this, I don’t think there is a better feeling than that.”
Listeners can find the new podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major podcast applications.
This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 11:32 AM.