EPISODE 3B: Joseph Smedley

What the Records Show, and What They Do Not

Now Streaming

EPISODE SUMMARY

In Episode 3B, we continue our examination of the death investigation of Joseph William Smedley II, a 20-year-old Indiana University student whose body was recovered from Griffy Lake in Bloomington, Indiana, in October 2015.

Joseph’s death was ruled a suicide by drowning, and the case was administratively closed.

This episode does not seek to overturn that classification.

Instead, Episode 3B exists for one reason: records were requested, and responses were received.

Some documentation was released.
Other records were explicitly withheld under Indiana public-records law.

This episode examines that distinction.

Using the Casewalker Evidence Book Method, we separate the case into three clearly defined categories:

Documented — information supported by released records

Stated — information asserted through summaries or public reporting

Unavailable — records that may exist procedurally but were not released to the public

We do not collapse those categories.
We do not fill gaps with theory.
We identify what can be verified, and clearly state what cannot.

Episode 3B inventories the records provided, identifies what was withheld, explains why investigatory records may legally remain undisclosed even after a case is closed, and outlines how those limits affect public understanding, not emotionally, but structurally.

This episode ends without a conclusion because conclusions require evidence.
What we offer instead is structure.

HOW THIS EPISODE IS DIFFERENT

Unlike Episode 3A, which focused on how Joseph Smedley’s case was summarized and closed, Episode 3B focuses on documentation itself.

Specifically:

What records were requested

What records were released

What records were withheld

The statutory basis for those decisions

How public-records law shapes what the public can evaluate

This episode does not argue outcome.
It examines access.

KEY TOPICS COVERED

Public-records requests related to Joseph Smedley’s case

Incident-level documentation versus investigative files

Indiana public-records law and investigatory record exemptions

The difference between summary narratives and underlying documentation

What “closed” means in an administrative context

Structural limits on transparency in death investigations

Why the absence of records is itself a documented fact

THE CASEWALKER EVIDENCE BOOK

For Episode 3B, we built a companion Evidence Book.

An Evidence Book is not speculation.
It is not theory.
And it is not hindsight.

It is a structured examination of:

What exists in the public record

What documentation was released

What was withheld

And where the record stops

Every statement in this episode is clearly labeled as documented, stated, or unavailable.
No assumptions are substituted for records.

MISSING PERSON SPOTLIGHT — EPISODE 3B

🕊️ ELLA SAYLOR

Ella Saylor is a missing juvenile from Muncie, Indiana.

According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Ella has been missing since February 3, 2024.

At the time she went missing, Ella was 15 years old.

Her case is listed through multiple national and law-enforcement databases, including:

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)

National Crime Information Center (NCIC)

NamUs Missing Person Database

Indiana State Police issued a Silver Alert for Ella shortly after she was reported missing.

As of the release of this episode, there have been no publicly confirmed sightings and no announcement from law enforcement that Ella has been found.

If you have information regarding Ella Saylor’s whereabouts, you are urged to contact:

Muncie Police Department: 765-747-4838

Emergency: Call 911

A missing person remains missing until they are found.

SOURCES & DOCUMENTATION

This episode is based on publicly available records and verified sources, including:

Bloomington Police Department

Incident-level and daily-log documentation released via public-records request

Indiana University Police Department

Publicly acknowledged involvement during the missing-person phase

Indiana public-records law

Indiana Code § 5-14-3 (Access to Public Records Act)

Public statements and law-enforcement summaries

Reputable media reporting referencing official classifications

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (Missing Person Spotlight only)

NamUs Missing Person Database (Missing Person Spotlight only)

A full Evidence Book and source index for this episode are available on our website.

CONTENT DISCLAIMER

This episode discusses death investigation, suicide classification, public-records law, and the structural limits of documentation in closed cases.

It also includes a missing-person spotlight involving a juvenile.

Listener discretion is advised.

All information presented is sourced from publicly available records, verified law-enforcement publications, court filings, or is clearly identified as summary or secondary reporting where applicable.

The Casewalker Chronicles does not speculate on guilt and does not accuse any individual or agency of wrongdoing unless legally established by court judgment.

FOLLOW & CONNECT

📍 Website: www.thecasewalkerchronicles.com
📍 Instagram: @TheCasewalkerChronicles
📍 Facebook: The Casewalker Chronicles
📍 Email: casewalkerchronicles@gmail.com