When investigating a story that has its roots in the distant past, it can be easy to lose sight of the human beings involved. Some have died, moved away, grown old or forgotten key events.
Throughout the podcast series BLAME, we introduce you to multiple people close to the family of Jill Wells and to those involved in both the short initial investigation of Jill’s death and the more in-depth investigation conducted in 2008 and 2009.
JILL WELLS
Born Jill Evenson in Sioux Falls, S.D., she was a registered nurse, wife of Mike Wells, and mother of two young sons, Tanner and Jacob.
MIKE WELLS
A native of Nevada, Mo., he operated his own construction business and married Jill in 1991, about two years after his first marriage ended in divorce.
TANNER WELLS
The older of Mike and Jill Wells' two sons. He was days from turning 7 years old on the day he was alleged to have accidentally shot and killed his mother.
LeROY YOWELL
The Lincoln County sheriff from 1975 to 2007 and one of the two officers who responded to the scene of Jill Wells’ death.
ALAN YOWELL
LeRoy Yowell’s son and the longtime undersheriff in Lincoln County. He was the lead investigator of Jill Wells’ death.
PHOTO GALLERIES