Shivangi Sinha
Crime Junkie’s podcast, ‘Mysterious Death: Molly Young,’ delves into the perplexing circumstances surrounding the demise of Molly Young, a young woman whose death has been a painful and protracted battle for her family. They firmly believe that Molly did not take her own life, contending that foul play was involved in her demise. This case has stirred significant interest among those who have been closely following it. If you’re eager to gain a deeper understanding of the events, questions, and mysteries surrounding Molly Young’s untimely passing, we’re here to provide you with a comprehensive exploration of her story. Let’s get started, shall we?
How Did Molly Young Die?
Molly Young was the youngest among the three children of Larry and Kathy Young. She was born on April 15, 1990, in Carbondale, Illinois. Molly possessed a strong artistic inclination and had a profound passion for photography. During her high school years, she achieved notable recognition when she won an award at Carnegie Hall for one of her photographs, which was also selected to be displayed at the U.S. Department of Education. During her time in school, Molly faced a health crisis when she suspected she had thyroid cancer. Fortunately, after undergoing surgery, it was determined that the mass was non-cancerous.
Molly emerged from this medical scare, resuming her young and promising life. On March 24, 2012, at 9:02 a.m., Jackson County Police dispatchers received a call from Wes Romack, who was the flatmate of Richie Minton, Molly’s boyfriend. Romack expressed his concern, indicating that he believed Molly, a Southern Illinois University student, was deceased. Subsequently, Richie Minton took over the phone and informed the dispatchers that Molly had overdosed and had blood coming from her nose.
Just a few minutes later, Minton made another call to the dispatchers, revealing that he had discovered his gun next to Molly and believed that she had shot herself. An email sent by a state investigator an hour after the call was made stated that the circumstances surrounding her death were suspicious and it would be treated as a homicide. However, the coroner’s investigation, which came in the next day, concluded that the manner of death was classified as a suicide.
Molly Young’s Death: A Twisted Mystery
In her early twenties, Molly started a relationship with Richie Minton, a young Carbondale police dispatcher. However, their relationship was marked by significant turbulence. Molly’s mother alleged that Richie frequently belittled and manipulated her daughter. Their relationship was characterized by frequent breakups and reconciliations, and it was far from stable. At one point during their relationship, Molly became pregnant, but she opted for a medically induced abortion.
On the night of Molly’s disappearance, Richie Minton had sent her a text message, requesting her to come to his apartment around 3 a.m. He claimed that he had returned home intoxicated and believed that Molly had taken her own life due to childhood abuse. He further stated that he had been so drunk that he had passed out and didn’t hear the gunshot. It was only when a coworker called him after he failed to show up for his 7 a.m. shift that he woke up and discovered Molly dead in the bathroom.
Due to Richie’s employment with the Carbondale Police, which posed a conflict of interest, the Illinois State Police was called in to investigate Molly’s tragic death. When the Illinois State Police arrived at the scene, Richie had already sought legal representation and decided not to cooperate further with the investigation or provide additional statements. He also refused to provide his DNA, urine, and blood samples. He had two long scratches on his side, which he initially informed the police were caused by Molly while he was attempting to perform CPR.
The explanation appeared improbable to Molly’s father, given that a deceased person causing such injuries to Richie was highly unlikely. Moreover, records from the Carbondale Police indicated that Richie was permitted to use the restroom, wash his hands, and change his clothes before he was called in for questioning, raising questions about the handling of the situation. In the course of their investigation, the police obtained a search warrant for Molly’s residence. During the search, they seized her computer and camera and thoroughly examined her room. Their search of her computer revealed multiple searches for “suicide,” conducted just a day before her death.
Additionally, they came across Molly’s journal, in which she had expressed her unhappiness and distress. Moreover, the authorities discovered a handwritten note on her bedroom floor in which Molly bid farewell to Richie and her family. Wes Romack provided corroboration by attesting that Molly had been grappling with depression and had experienced thoughts of suicide. Molly’s family contends that there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that the note she wrote was composed just before her death. They believe that Molly might have written the note during her cancer scare when she feared for her life.
Molly’s family has raised several other inconsistencies that have aroused their suspicions. One of the discrepancies noted is that the gunshot wound was on the left side of Molly’s head, despite her being right-handed. Additionally, the trajectory of the gunshot indicated a downward angle, which seemed unusual. Furthermore, her family observed that Molly’s body had been relocated before the first responders arrived on the scene, and she had fresh bruises on various parts of her body. They found it suspicious that Richie was allowed to clean up before any samples could be taken.
Subsequently, DNA test results revealed that Richie’s DNA was discovered beneath Molly’s fingernails. Ten months following Molly’s tragic death, a special coroner’s inquest was convened to reexamine the circumstances surrounding her passing. The jury’s conclusion was marked as “undetermined,” indicating uncertainty regarding the cause of death. Intriguingly, the podcast highlights that nineteen post-mortem lab tests, conducted after her demise, all refuted the possibility of suicide and pointed towards homicide.
Driven by a relentless pursuit of the truth, Molly’s father fought for two years and eventually filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Richie but the statute of limitations had passed. The objective was to compel the release of crucial files that had eluded him through the Freedom of Information Act. During this process, questioning of Wes Romack revealed inconsistencies in his previous testimonies. Similarly, Carbondale Police Chief Jody O’Quinn’s statements also displayed discrepancies and the released phone records showed that Molly’s phone had been tampered with.
After Molly’s case was brought to the notice of newly elected Illinois State Representative Terri Bryant, “Molly’s Law” was drafted, which requires agencies to turn over documents requested through the Freedom of Information Act within 30 days or face stiff penalties. The second component of this was to increase the statute of limitations from 2 to 5 years. The case remains open, and the family is pushing for it to be heard by a grand jury. They have a Facebook page, Justice For Molly, which has about 22k followers who are rallying for all this evidence to be heard and taken into account.
Read More: Mario Biondo: How Did He Die? Was it a Murder or Suicide?
