The Jacket on the Bench: How a Wharf Killer Stayed Hidden

The Jacket on the Bench: How a Wharf Killer Stayed Hidden A woman’s phone stops at 4:47 PM and eight days later her body is pulled up forty feet below the Atlantic, weighted with marine anchor chain bought less than 200 yards from where she parked - and her jacket turns up on a locked wharf bench between 11:40 PM and 5:15 AM. Who moved through a sealed building and left that jacket as a message, and why did Ruth Snyder’s routine make her a target? In this episode, we lay out the timeline of Ruth Snyder’s disappearance, the discovery of her jacket on Gillman Wharf, the forensic details around her death, and the local relationships that may explain motive. What does the jacket, the locked building, and a vendor’s renegotiated contract reveal about who wanted Ruth quiet? Person: Ruth Snyder Date: October 13 (last message) - body found eight days later Location: Gillman Wharf, Harrow Point, midcoast Maine Status: Body recovered; strangled; weighted with marine anchor chain Person: Ross Dempsey - Ruth Snyder sent a final text at 4:47 PM reading "Llegando un poco tarde" and did not arrive. - Her body was recovered forty feet below the surface of the Atlantic, weighted with marine anchor chain. - The same marine anchor chain was the kind sold at a hardware shop less than 200 yards from her parked car. - Her jacket was found on a wooden bench outside Portside Cold Storage between 11:40 PM and 5:15 AM while the building had been sealed for eight months. - Ross Dempsey, age forty-one, ran Dempsey Gear and had his contract renegotiated after Ruth discovered repeated double-billing. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.