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[The Shallow Grave: The Disappearance and Murder of Kathy Goble]-[We're Going In (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)]

MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories · B2 · 2026-07-27

True crime
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📋 Summary

The Tragic Disappearance of Kathy Goble

In April 2010, the quiet suburban life of 64-year-old sales clerk Kathy Goble was shattered. Kathy, a well-liked employee at a high-end men’s clothing store in Charleston, West Virginia, vanished without a trace, leaving behind a mystery that would remain unsolved for two years.

The Final Hours

On Saturday, April 24, 2010, Kathy’s day was marked by professional success and personal turmoil. She was helping a long-time customer and lover, Dr. Harry King, while simultaneously dealing with a volatile confrontation with Jessica Fisher, the daughter of a co-worker. Jessica, struggling with a serious drug addiction, had demanded Xanax from Kathy. When Kathy refused to enable her any longer, a "huge scene" erupted, leaving Kathy shaken.

After closing the store, Kathy was escorted to her car by a shoe salesman named Charles March. She felt safe, unaware that the man she trusted to protect her from Jessica Fisher was the very person who would soon end her life. Kathy spent the evening helping her ex-husband, David McCartney, before heading to her boyfriend Fred Farrell’s apartment to clean it while he was away on a fishing trip. Her last phone conversation, held with her friend Laura, ended abruptly with the chilling comment: "We’re going into Fred’s apartment."

A Cold Case and False Leads

When Kathy failed to show up for work on Monday, her son Jason grew concerned. Detective Brian Carper, a family friend, led the investigation. Initial suspicion fell on several people:

  • Fred Farrell, whose apartment was found suspiciously "spotless" and who referred to Kathy in the "past tense."
  • Dr. Harry King, whose affair with Kathy provided a potential motive linked to jealousy.
  • Jessica Fisher, who had a public, "nasty argument" with the victim on the day she vanished.

Despite these leads, the investigation hit a wall. Kathy’s SUV was found abandoned on the highway with a white towel in the window—a ruse to suggest a breakdown—but the car was in perfect working order. With no DNA evidence and no signs of a struggle, the case went cold.

The Gruesome Discovery

Two years later, in April 2012, heavy rainfall turned the Charleston area into a "swampy mess." The weather conditions caused a shallow grave in a backyard to erode, revealing human remains. The body was identified as Kathy Goble.

Investigators reconstructed the final moments of her life: Charles March had been waiting for her at the apartment. After convincing her to drive with him to a remote location, he propositioned her. When Kathy rejected his advances, March fell into an "instant rage," strangled her, and dismembered her body.

Justice Served

Charles March, who had never been considered a suspect, possessed a hidden history of stalking women. He became "obsessed" with Kathy, eventually murdering her when she refused him. He was arrested, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to life in prison. March died of cancer in 2014, two years after his conviction, closing a dark chapter in the community's history.

🎯Key Sentences

1
I have to think about it.
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📝Key Phrases

1
put someone on edge
2
on the fence
3
bring oneself to do something
4
out of character
5
fill in the gaps
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📖 Transcript

One morning in 2012, a young man was looking out his backyard in West Virginia when he noticed something in his garden.
So over the past couple of days, there had been really heavy rainfall, and it had basically turned his backyard into like a swamp.
But in particular, in the garden in his backyard,
There was almost like a sinkhole forming from all the water.
And he noticed there was something in the hole and it almost looked like it could be plastic.
And so feeling curious, the young man left the house and yeah, sure enough, there was what appeared to be the top of a plastic bag that had been tied up that was in this hole.

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