May 27, 2025

Chapter 105: Summer's Almost Gone-The Bricca Family Murders w/ JT Townsend & Brian Santana

Chapter 105: Summer's Almost Gone-The Bricca Family Murders w/ JT Townsend & Brian Santana

As summer drew to a close in September of 1966 in Cincinnati, Ohio, something terrible was happening at 3381 Greenway Avenue amid another killer's reign of terror attacking women. The Bricca family, Jerry, Linda, and their little girl, Debbie, were brutally murdered in their own home as their neighbors gathered in their homes, settling in to watch TV on that rainy evening. Decades later, the mystery of who committed this heinous crime and who was responsible remains unsolved. Today, I am joined by Brian Santana as my cohost as we sit down with the one man who has spent his life investigating this crime. J.T. Townsend walks us through the crime that has had a hold of him since childhood, so much so that he compiled his research into a comprehensive look at the case in his book Summer's Almost Gone . J.T. takes us through it all, from the timeline, the possible motives, and the person who he believes got away with murder



J. T. Townsend is a freelance writer, armchair detective, and lifelong resident of Cincinnati. He is the author of the 2009 regional best-seller Queen City Gothic, and 2014’s Queen City Notorious, and his work has appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Magazine, Word Magazine, Crime Traveler, and Clews. He has presented over 300 programs in the Cincinnati area as part of his True Crime Lecture Series, including Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, and the Lindbergh Kidnapping. He teaches his Cincinnati True Crime Detective class for the University of Cincinnati Communiversity division.
In 2018, he was featured on WCPO News, 700WLW Radio, and the Cincinnati Enquirer while promoting his new book Summer’s Almost Gone, a regional bestseller! In 2020, he appeared on WLWT News with Sheree Paolello.

Visit his website and get a copy of Summer's Almost Gone at www.jttownsend.com
Visit his Facebook Page at JT Townsend, True Crime Detective

Check out the interview I did with Brian and Cameron Santana on the murder of Virginia Olson here

Get Murder on Campus: The Professor, The Cop, and North Carolina's Most Notorious Cold Case Here

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Brian Santana Profile Photo

Brian Santana

Brian Santana is a college English professor and writer. After graduating from UNC-Asheville in 2003 with a degree in Drama, he earned a M.A. in English at North Carolina State University and a PhD from The George Washington University. He currently resides in West Virginia with his wife and children.

JT Townsend Profile Photo

JT Townsend

Author

J. T. Townsend is a freelance writer, armchair detective, and lifelong resident of Cincinnati. He is the author of the 2009 regional best-seller Queen City Gothic, and 2014’s Queen City Notorious, and his work has appeared in the Cincinnati
Enquirer, Cincinnati Magazine, Word Magazine, Crime Traveler, and Clews. He has presented over 300 programs in the Cincinnati area as part of his True Crime Lecture Series, including Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, and the Lindbergh
Kidnapping. He teaches his Cincinnati True Crime Detective class for the University of Cincinnati Communiversity division.
In 2018, he was featured on WCPO News, 700WLW Radio, and the Cincinnati Enquirer while promoting his new book Summer’s Almost Gone, a regional bestseller! In 2020, he appeared on WLWT News with Sheree Paolello.