‘Undetermined’ investigates Jessica Easterly Durning’s unsolved case from 2019
Tenderfoot TV’s new true crime podcast, “Undetermined,” examines Jessica Easterly Durning’s unsolved case from 2019. The 43-year-old suburban New Orleans resident was reported missing before her sisters found her body a stone’s throw away from her home over a week later.
Jessica’s cause of death was “undetermined,” a term used by coroners to describe the cause or manner of death when little evidence is found. Despite this classification, the evidence pointed to foul play, leading her family and friends to suspect that someone was responsible for her disappearance.
Investigative journalist Jessica Noll and former Detective Todd McComas dive into the case in hopes of answering many questions about Jessica’s death. Stream this podcast in chronological order from episode 1 to learn about Jessica, her relationship, and details about her life before she went missing. So far, all episodes clock in under an hour each. The hosts speak with Jessica’s friends and family on this series, and you’ll also hear excerpts from police recordings.
After Jessica’s birthday rolled by and her family did not hear from her, they had reasons to believe something was up and considered the worst possible scenario. Just before Jessica disappeared, she sent a startling message to her friend, Maria, and said she was going to leave her husband, Justin. Jessica claimed she was domestically abused and wanted out, so she was ready for a fresh start elsewhere.
In a panic, Jessica called Maria and asked to be picked up, saying she’d later fill Maria in with all the details. Maria lived 2 states away, and planned to see Jessica the following day. The next day, there was radio silence. Justin contacted Maria via Jessica’s Facebook and said Jessica went missing.
Justin claimed that Jessica left essential belongings such as her keys, wallet, and phone at home. Maria dialed the New Orleans Police Department and asked them to do a welfare check on Jessica. Jessica’s body was later found 2.5 blocks away from her home. Tune in to hear what happened next when police arrived at Jessica’s parents’ home, what the co-hosts learned throughout their investigation, and what caused delays in Jessica’s case.
“Undetermined” is presented by the same team that created “Culpable” and “To Live and Die in LA.” Tune in Tuesdays for new episodes of “Undetermined” wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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