The Secrets Green Hollow Kept About Don Studey for Decades

This is Hidden Tillers Live with Tony Brusky and Robin Dree.

The green hollow killer, that's what we're talking about today.

This is part two in our conversation with the fans attorney Bob Motto, one of our contributors

and good friends here at the program.

He was boots on the ground.

He was right there while some of this investigation was going on while some of this documentary

was being made that you may have now seen on paramount plus my killer father out right

now.

That is the case.

We are talking about and it is full of twists and turns and questions that really no

one can answer other than Bob.

Let's get back to the interview.

This is me and Robin Drake, retired FBI special agent as we continue our conversation about

what Bob Motto found while investigating.

The possible green hollow killer.

So I get out there at the crack of dawn, I'm in that white caprice.

They're already there.

This is like 630 in the morning and they're down there.

So Lucy says don't go in the way you came because there's three ways in.

There's in through the hollow.

That was not the way to go.

There's another one.

I think it's called cemetery road appropriately so you drive past the cemetery.

So I'm pulling in, I've got my typical short haircut, I've got my my ray bands on and

I think I'm probably wearing a hat and I've got this white caprice.

I've got like these glasses on and I'm driving in and there's a cop with like a clipboard

standing there.

So I rolled on the window.

I'm like, hey, what's up?

He doesn't ask me.

He's like, oh, he just, he waves me in.

He thinks you're a cop, thinks I'm a cop.

So I'm like, this is amazing.

So I get down and there's a bunch of cars parked and I can see just beyond, you know,

the staging area where they're getting everything ready.

So I'm sitting there for a minute.

I'm kind of like, I'm like, holy shit, I'm down here.

I'm like, what's my next move?

Do I like going?

Like, do I, do I walk it?

So before I can do anything, the local sheriff comes and knocks on my window.

He's like, roll your window down.

He's like, hey, he's like, who are you?

He's like, give me, I'm like, I'm fine.

He's like, give me your ID.

I need your driver's license right now.

I'm like, all right, I'm like, here you go.

He's like, how did you get down here?

I'm like, he waved me down.

He's like, the guy up there with the clipboard waved me down.

He's like, well, you're not supposed to be down here.

He's like, he's like, I'll be back.

So he leaves for like five minutes.

And I can hear him barking at people and streaming and yelling.

And I'm like, I might, maybe I'm getting arrested.

I don't think so because this area I'm in is not private properly.

I haven't told him a lawyer yet.

I haven't pulled the, I know my rights.

I'm a lawyer card because cops love that when you do that.

Yeah, everything in the world.

And here's some big mouth say.

I'm a lawyer.

I gotta go with you, Bob, because I have the best get out of jail free card

ever saw mine's our life.

My retired FBI creds, F and rock.

Yes, because no one sees a retired stamp on there.

They can get me in everywhere.

I get to break the law with you too.

In my folder and crime moving forward.

We could get anywhere.

That is it.

That is, that is either the kingdom.

So he comes back, he yells at me.

He's like, I've been watching your videos.

You know, he's like, he's super pissed at me.

I was like, well, then you know I haven't broken any laws.

And I say, look, Sheriff, I'm not here to, to metal.

I'm, I'm simply here to observe.

I'm not going to interfere in any way, shape or form.

I just want to watch Lucy sent me down here

because she wants me to check out and make sure that this thing

is actually happening at this point.

She doesn't trust law enforcement at all.

She takes everybody's full of shit.

So that's all I'm going to do.

He's like, well, stay out of our way.

We won't have any problems.

I'm going to answer.

Yeah, good answer.

No, that's nice, good job.

Yeah, and I'm like, like that's, that's exactly

what I'm going to do.

So by the time I leave that area, so I leave that area

and I go back and I'm going to go try to talk to Chittik,

who I know is at work, but he's giving me access

to the property.

So by the time I get over there,

they already have two crawlers staged

at the opening that leads into Green Hollow.

So I pull up, I'm like, hey, what's up, fellas?

And they're like, yeah, you can't come in.

I'm like, what are you talking about?

I'm like, this is public property.

This road is a public road.

You can't stop me from driving down.

And he's like, I'm just telling you, you can't come in.

And I'm like, well, who gave you that?

He's like, I'm not telling you that either.

You just can't come in.

So I'm like, I'm like, call your boss.

I'm like, call your boss while I'm standing here.

I'm like, I honestly, I said, I'm not, again,

I'm not trying to create an issue here.

I'm just trying to watch, but I'm telling you,

legally, you have no authority to stop me

from driving down this road at all.

So he's like, all right, I'll make a call.

He goes and makes a call because he's like,

man, you can't come down here.

So I'm like, all right, that's an issue.

And I'm going to make it an issue.

Because again, I'm not trying to cause any issues here.

I'm just simply trying to stand on that fence line

and watch what's going on.

That's all I'm trying to do.

And these guys are like, these two guys are like, man,

we watch your content and it's really good.

We like it.

You know, these guys are like, these guys

are actually like rooting for me to get back there.

I can tell.

So I'm like, all right, I'm going to leave.

So I'm about, I'm 10 miles down the road

and I get the call and I forget who it is.

Because at this point, I'm on the phone

with 50 different people.

Like I'm, I'm like, I am trying to reach out

to everybody in the area, all the contacts I've made,

everybody that loose, he's put me in contact with.

And I get the call that they've changed their minds.

And they're going to allow me to go back.

So I throw you turn.

I go back and I'm on the fence line.

So I get back there.

I park, it's like, it's, I literally

had to crawl up this like 15 foot dirt wall

to get up to this thing, man.

And it's like, and I'm on this landing.

And I make it to the fence line.

And that's when I see all, all where the dogs hit

with all the marks.

And I'm like, man, I really did want to go

by a shovel and just start digging up there.

Yeah, that's what I want to do.

Because that was land I was allowed to be on.

I know because of my gasey thing where

I'm trying to find additional victims,

which we talked about so much.

I'm like, if we ever, if we ever discover a bone,

we stop immediately, we call a law enforcement,

we get them out there and then they do their thing.

You know, which would have been my plan then.

And I'm like, all right.

I'm just going to go to the fence line.

So I'm on the phone with Lucy, she's screaming at me.

She's like, what are they doing?

I'm like, I'm like, I can see them.

They're actually doing things.

Because like when they're doing the soil sample,

it's like a 30 foot pole.

So I can see that they were doing it.

And they were going in deep.

And I knew what they were looking for was the lie.

That's what they were actually looking for.

Because that would have substantiated her story.

Because there would be no other reason for lie

to be in that that that well.

And for everyone watching and listening,

what was the lie for what she say it was for?

To help the decomposition of the bodies.

So if you're going to use lie, that's what you use that for.

Lime, which is what Gase used helps mask the smell.

So there are two different things people

like oftentimes confuse the two.

So I'm like, all right.

She's like, I need you to go up on that,

like climb up and go up on the high ridge.

Because there's another ridge.

It's such a weird geographical area.

And I was trying to use, there were two apps I was using

to try to get the lay of the land from up above,

from satellite view.

Because Google Maps wasn't it.

Like Google Maps didn't show me like the topography.

Yeah, you know what I mean?

So like, I'm like, all right.

I'm going to try to make my way up there.

She's like, because that's where the other well is.

That's the well there's supposed to be at,

they're at the wrong well.

They're at the well that they searched at the first time.

Why do you think they're at the wrong well?

Yeah, based on what she was telling me.

Because she says that's where the what well was.

Yeah.

That was like the act of well.

Because Don was going up, then where did they get that

information from that they put them at the wrong well?

Because she wasn't invited to the first search.

So when the feds after the story broke,

and she was relentless.

Like she really had been relentless for many, many years,

just trying to get somebody law enforcement wise

to go out there.

She thought she had made a solid connection with a fed.

Fed just kept, you know, putting her off,

being like, we're working on it.

We're going to get something done.

So when they finally get out there with the dogs,

and this is before the newsweek story broke,

because I think newsweek must have contacted law enforcement.

So she had pushed into the point

where they were actually going to go out there

and vet the information.

So when they went out there,

at newsweek was there for that one,

but Lucy was not, and so they went out

and they just looked in the wrong areas.

Because she kept talking about this mushroom trail, you know,

and there was a shallow grave she was claiming

in a mushroom trail that she had a distinct memory

of them burying a body in this mushroom trail,

which would obviously be the easiest find.

So that was that well happened to be right near

that mushroom trail.

And like she's trying to explain it to me over the phone,

and I didn't have a strong enough signal to FaceTime her

to show her where I was.

You know what I mean?

I'm trying to explain it.

I'm like turning around.

I'm like, look, I can see where your dad's trailer

used to be from up on high,

but like I'm on that fence line.

And like I don't know that she had been out there

since the flood.

So the whole topography had changed

because of the flood there.

But she didn't go.

She was in Florida and she like couldn't afford

to jump on a plane like same day.

Like it was happening so fast

they gave her no notice.

And she knew that I would jump in the car

and get out there, which I did, you know?

So I end up getting on this high ridge.

And I'm up there and walking around.

And it's like, it's really pretty breathtaking up there.

It's such a weird kind of like a weird area to be.

And like I said, in flat farmland,

it reminds me of like kind of Galena Illinois,

which is like the one place the glacier

didn't hit in Illinois,

because Illinois is flat as shit too.

When you get up to Galena,

you actually have like huge hills.

It's more like, you know, kind of like Missouri

when you get into those states

where they have something aside from flat land.

It's kind of how zarky.

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

So I get up there and I can see

that there's another entrance.

And so Lucy's like, that's the entrance

we used to go through.

And this one was probably about 400 yards

west of where I was initially,

like kind of in this area where they found,

you know, that the dogs had hit

in those five different areas,

which would have made sense in terms of,

because I'm trying to put this together.

You know, like as I'm looking at the property,

how were they gaining access if this is true?

Like getting up with the body

and you've got your kids dragging these things up there.

You know, and there are, it turns out,

which I didn't know before I scaled the rock wall

or whatever it was,

because if there was actually kind of like a path

that had gone up that kind of curved its way up

and I ended up on that thing,

that kind of like platformed area.

So another 30 feet above that is where I end up,

I'm standing and then I see that there's another share

of stationed on the fence line up there.

So they're really trying to keep me like out of their business,

like actually, super nice guy.

He's a deputy sheriff, you know,

so I started having like this,

like hour long conversation with them.

He's like, oh yeah, I watched your content too

and this is like a 60, 60 year old man.

They were all watching it, you know,

like all of it kind of developed in real time.

And I'm like, can you tell me anything?

Like what's going on?

He's like, well, he's like,

they put all the locals were just on guard duty.

They're not letting us anywhere near what they're doing out there.

I'm like, but you know, they're actually doing some stuff.

He's like, yeah, I know they're doing some stuff.

And I'm like, if they found anything

and he's like, well, he's like the only thing I think

that they found thus far is a horse bone.

So I'm like, all right, that's it.

So I'm having this really long conversation.

Now, keep in mind that I've had,

I don't know, probably like 100 hours of conversations

with Lucy and I've talked about this Gacy podcast

as I'm prone to do a million times with her.

And so I'm telling this cop about my Gacy podcast

as I'm prone to do.

He's like, oh, you know, yeah, he's like, yeah,

you know that Gacy's first victim, Tim McCoy,

was from Green Hollow.

And I like, I literally like almost fell down.

I was so stunned by it because, you know,

my focus really of the Gacy podcast

was to focus on the victims.

And then he goes on to, so I'm blown away.

I'm like, see, you're telling me Tim McCoy

because I knew that Tim McCoy had come down from Minnesota

and he got picked up in the Greyhound bus station,

heading back to Iowa for the high school graduation

so he could celebrate with his friends.

So I knew I didn't know where in Iowa though.

But I knew he was, that was his final destination

where he was heading on the bus

when Gacy snatched him up in Chicago.

And I'm like, holy shit.

So the guy keeps talking and he tells me he's like, yeah,

you know, he's related to the studies.

And I'm like, what?

Because I like, so you have to like,

at that point in time, I'm starting to feel like

that I was like destined to be there.

Like some kind of weird fate shit.

Because the odds of that being the case

and me being in that point in time,

having that conversation, finding out that information

about Tim McCoy, just blew my mind.

And I'm like, oh, shit, man.

I'm like, I think I'm like on to something.

I feel like I'm in my mind.

I'm like, I'm gonna uncover one of the biggest serial killers

in the history of America right here.

And I'm gonna be like on the front line of it

and it's unbelievable.

And so I immediately, as soon as I end that conversation,

I call Lucy, I'm like, Lucy,

I'm like, are you related to a guy named Tim McCoy?

And she's like, yeah, he's like a second cousin three times

when I'm so shit, he's like an inner bloodline.

Wow.

And I'm like, how did you never,

like how many times have I talked to you

about the gay seat thing?

And you never thought to mention

that you had a connection with this first victim,

a familial connection.

She's like, no, she's like, I told you,

I can't do that serial killer shit.

I'm like, I'm not asking you to do serial killer shit.

That's something where you just tell me, hey,

you know what, you might find interesting.

I was related to his first victim.

I'm like, fun fact, yeah.

I was like, that was like a weird kind of turning point for me

because I just didn't understand

why she wouldn't have mentioned that

because it was significant.

Yeah.

She had to know it was significant to me.

So, in any way, that was a weird aside

that put me in this whole different mindset of like fate.

Like, because I've never really been like a big, you know,

fate, like I am, but that changed things for me.

Like, and I really started to think, man,

I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

And at that point, the full day goes by,

I want to make it to town

and I want to start interviewing the locals, you know?

And I knew that I had been out enough

to, you know, have established that I'm there on TikTok.

And I knew that everybody was watching it.

So I knew once I got into Taber

and I was getting a million DMs on TikTok.

They were like, oh, we live here.

We want to meet with you.

We have a story.

So like, they were just flowing.

It was insane.

It was like to watch your, like any kind of thing

that you have on socials to like grow like that overnight.

It's crazy.

It's like, yeah, the notifications.

And I'm like, and just the amount of DMs,

I was getting was overwhelming.

So that that full first day goes by,

and I don't really get any kind of news.

Like, and I'm really trying to get some news

as to whether or not they uncovered anything

because Lucy's on my ass.

She's like, what, you know, what are you hearing?

I'm going to the, like, and before I left for, you know,

town that night, I went to the sheriff's office,

tried to go in there, tried to sit with the sheriff

because I wanted to make nice with the sheriff,

which I ultimately ended up doing.

You know, I'm the next trip down.

And I'm like, hey, man, you know,

I'm just trying to get some information.

You know, that's all I'm trying to find out

is whether or not they found something.

And he's like, I don't know, I don't know.

You know, he's like, they're not telling us anything either.

And I kind of have believed him and I have didn't.

But I'm like, whatever, I'm not going to push the point.

So I end up going to the town, met with a ton of people,

ate with a bunch of wonderful, wonderful locals

down there, everybody was sweet as pie.

You know, it was just like, I felt, you know,

because it's like you go into a situation

that's kind of an indelible, or outsider.

Yeah.

You don't know how they're going to take you.

You know what I mean?

And it's like either going to be,

you're going to get massive resistance

in a cold shoulder or super welcoming.

And I got the ladder and I was fortunate for that

because everyone wanted to talk to me.

Like the mayor invited me to the house for dinner.

Right.

So what do you think made them want to talk?

I think it was kind of like the fact

that they can kind of get the sense

that I'm a genuine dude.

You know what I mean?

I like it.

Like if you go to my TikTok and the videos are up there

and I highly recommend it,

but you use watch that documentary.

Go check out the TikTok

because it's a very nice partner piece

to the documentary, I'm sure.

And I haven't watched it yet.

I know Tony Wilde through it this morning at the crack of dawn.

I could just imagine Tony and bad flipping his TV on.

That's after it.

That's not all the cults.

Because that was what's all the cult shows too.

I'm getting up, getting ready to take my daughter to school

and I'm like, I got to start this doc

if I'm going to get through it before we go on the air.

I figured out this morning, my paramount

plus I had to just expired

because I was like, oh, this morning too.

It's like, I'd think it's just like a little morning,

morning murder, coffee and murder.

We do that all the time.

Who can resist?

Who can resist?

I wife thinks I'm another.

So what I think that was it, man,

I think it was people because I was trying,

at that point in time, TikTok,

the max you could do on a stream was three minutes.

Okay.

I was like, I was really trying to cram a lot into three minutes

and I think that people were appreciative of what I was doing.

They were appreciative of the fact that I was respectful

of their town, of their privacy of them as a people.

And so I think that I was able to kind of build

that rapport remotely through that account.

And so that worked well for me and it was genuine.

You know, I, you know, how did the locals,

what was their take on everything at that moment in time

in terms of the attention that this has been given

in relation to all of the claims

that Lucy has been making throughout the years.

Because obviously he's never been charged

with a crime done, never has.

But obviously there's the, you know, the story, the tale,

the legend of this.

And that's what I was getting to as well.

Were they inviting you in, Bob,

because they were happy it was finally being told

or was it because of you?

I think it was, I think it was both.

I think it was both.

But everybody had a story, you know?

Did they feel like their story hasn't been heard other?

Because obviously Lucy feels like no one's heard her story

until now.

Did they feel like, like for whatever reason

nobody was looking at this?

That there's a mystery to be solved here.

Are they sick of hearing about it?

And they just want to get a conclusive answer either way?

What was their attitude on that?

I think the bigger story was really that,

that Lucy had been making these outcries for years

and they just wanted to know if it was true

the same way the rest of us did.

You know what I mean?

And it was like, and then when you combine that

with the concept that their parents had told them stories

about Don Steudie.

Yeah.

And I'm talking about the younger generation.

You know, for them it became kind of a legendary story.

Yeah.

And it was like one of those legend.

All right, don't go back into the hollows.

He's the bogeyman.

He's the model of life.

He's the local bogeyman, yeah.

He was absolutely the local bogeyman.

There's more to come in our conversation with Bob Moda

as we dig deeper into Don Steudie.

Is he, in fact, the green hollow killer?

Or are the events that are talked about depicted

and claimed by his very own daughter

in the my killer father documentary on Paramount Plus,

a trauma response, part of the imagination,

part of a false reality that his daughter has been living with

for all of these years, or is it all too real?

And no one has been listening close enough yet.

We'll continue the conversation.

Press subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

So you do not miss it.

Until then, I'm Tony Bursky.

We'll talk again real soon.

Want more on this case and others?

Then press subscribe now.

And don't miss a moment of true crime coverage

from Tony Bursky and the Hidden Killer's podcast.