Ohio

Podcaster, law enforcement taking new look at decades old central Ohio cold case

Published

2 years ago

July 12, 2024

Podcaster, law enforcement taking new look at decades old central Ohio cold case

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) – A true crime podcaster from Florida is investigating a central Ohio homicide alongside local law enforcement and the victim’s family, with the goal of closing the decades-old case.

John “Bernie” Burnside, 32, was found dead in his Marysville home on Dec. 11, 1993, just 10 hours after reporting a break-in to police. Burnside had cerebral palsy, a condition affecting one’s movement and muscle coordination. His death was originally ruled a suicide but was later determined to be a homicide.

“The manner of death that he was found, it didn’t make sense to me to rule it a suicide,” said Podcast Host and Investigator Melissa Sandberg. “So I just had a lot of questions about the whole thing.”

John Burnside (Photo Courtesy/Paula Troyer)
John Burnside (Photo Courtesy/Paula Troyer)
John Burnside (Photo Courtesy/Paula Troyer)

Sandberg said she became interested in the case after seeing a post on social media – now, she’s decided to take an in-depth look at the man’s death, bringing listeners along with her in her new podcast “Dog with a Bone.”

“I’m [was looking] for a case that has not received a lot of attention or coverage,” Sandberg said. “I found a Facebook page called, ‘Who killed John Burnside’ and there were only 22 people in that group, 22. And I was shocked. And I was like, who is fighting for justice for Bernie?”

Episodes detailing an investigation into the Burnside case will mark the first season of her podcast, but this will not be her first time investigating a homicide. Sandberg has been investigating cold cases for more than three years, recently as part of a group called “Safe Haven,” sponsored by American Military University. With that group, Sandberg helped investigate the 2008 murder of Judith “Judy” Petty out of Parkersburg, West Virginia, bringing new leads to the investigation.

“I’ve always had a passion for trying to help and bring justice to cold cases and still having the victims be heard and finding justice for the family,” she said.

After Sandberg began to look into the case and reach out to different law enforcement agencies, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation decided to review the case. The podcaster will be providing the information she finds to the BCI’s Cold Case Unit, which said it’s now in the “early stages” of looking into the homicide along with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Union County Sheriff’s Office and Marysville Police Department.

“I’m so excited and honored that the BCI is taking another look at this case,” Sandberg said. “They actually had it back in [early 1990s]. … They did take a look at it, but nothing since then has happened.”

Sandberg works in the healthcare industry and investigates cold cases on the side. She spends money out of her own pocket to fly to the places where victims lived, to talk with their family, friends and law enforcement. On Thursday, she flew to Ohio to work on Burnside’s case.

“This is free,” Sandberg said. “I don’t charge the family. I don’t look to raise any donations or funds. This is me doing this because I have a passion to do this.”

Sandberg is part of a larger trend of civilians taking on the role of detective to help solve crimes. She said those like herself, who are not law enforcement but investigate crimes, can have unique advantages to breaking a case open.

“In the Judy Petty case, we were able to bring new leads, new information that law enforcement had never heard before,” Sandberg said. “By utilizing different platforms, it is drawing in more information. And not everybody wants to talk to a police officer at first, right? When you’re dealing with a crime, you might be dealing with people who have done crimes themselves, and have had experiences with law enforcement, and so there’s more of a comfort level talking to somebody like me who isn’t law enforcement.”

The main goal of her investigative podcast is to lend a hand to law enforcement by bringing in new leads and information. She plans to release more seasons on different cold cases in the future.

Weekly episodes on the Burnside case will be released on platforms that stream podcasts, such as Apple and Spotify. Sandberg said the first episodes will be released in the near future – updates can be found on the podcast’s Facebook page.

Anyone who has information on the homicide of John Burnside may message Sandberg through the podcast’s Facebook, as well as contact the Ohio BCI’s tip line at 800-282-3784.

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Ohio

Ohio State educators honored for service in classroom and beyond

Published

2 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Press Room

Ohio State educators honored for service in classroom and beyond

The work that educators do every day in teaching and furthering research and innovation is the foundation of The Ohio State University’s land-grant mission, President Ravi V. Bellamkonda said at the university’s annual Faculty Awards Celebration. The event was held May 6 at Vitria on the Square on Ohio State’s Columbus campus.

“The question is, what should we be doing together and what’s the goal for us as we move forward? I’d like to suggest that I would like for all of us to give ourselves the gift of reasonably high expectations of what we can achieve together, and you exemplify this,” Bellamkonda told the honorees.

“I’m optimistic about our future because of what you do in the classroom and the scholarship and the mentoring and the teaching and the community that you have created.”

The celebration shines a light on faculty’s contributions to Ohio State and the citizens that the university serves, Interim Provost Trevor Brown said.

“I want to acknowledge how special all of our faculty are in the work that they do in generating knowledge and sharing that with students and the broader community,” he said. “That is important and essential work.

The Distinguished University Professor appointment, Ohio State’s highest faculty honor, was awarded to: Gail E. Besner, College of Medicine; Shan-Lu Liu, College of Veterinary Medicine; Alan Luo, College of Engineering; Giorgio Rizzoni, College of Engineering; Brent Sohngen, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES); and Claudia Turro, College of Arts and Sciences.

“The title of distinguished university professor is a permanent honorific that includes automatic membership in the president’s and provost’s advisory committee,” said Patrick Louchouarn, senior vice provost for leadership and external engagement.

Three professors were recognized with the President and Provost’s Award for Distinguished Faculty Service: Caroline T. Clark, College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE); Susan E. Cole, College of Arts and Sciences; and John E. Davidson, College of Arts and Sciences.

Ohio State Interim Provost Trevor Brown said faculty’s teaching and research are essential. The Distinguished Scholar Award was presented to six faculty members: Christopher R. Browning, College of Arts and Sciences; David L. Hoffman, College of Arts and Sciences; Christopher Jaroniec, College of Arts and Sciences; Christopher A. Jones, College of Arts and Sciences; Matthew D. Ringel, College of Medicine; and Han-Wei Shen, College of Engineering.

Also recognized were recipients of the Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer and the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching

These honorees “are inducted into the Academy of Teaching and are honored with the academy’s medallion,” said Helen Malone, vice provost for faculty affairs. “Academy of Teaching members wear these distinctive medallions as part of their academic regalia.”

The Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer honorees are:

Christiane Buuck, College of Arts and Sciences.

Alexia Leonard, College of Engineering.

David Matthews, College of Pharmacy.

Calvin Olsen, College of Arts and Sciences.

U.S. Navy Lt. Michael L. Terranova, Naval ROTC.

Jennifer Walters, College of Arts and Sciences.

The Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching honorees are:

Jasmine Abukar, EHE.

Yigit Akin, College of Arts and Sciences.

Dawn Allain, College of Medicine.

Rebecca R. Andridge, College of Public Health.

Amanda Bird, College of Arts and Sciences.

Ellen Klinger, CFAES.

Danielle Schoon, College of Arts and Sciences.

Guramrit Singh, College of Arts and Sciences.

Margaret Sumner, College of Arts and Sciences.

Ryan J. Yoder, College of Arts and Sciences.

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Ohio

Manufacturing history unfolds at North Central Ohio Industrial Museum

Published

14 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Press Room

Manufacturing history unfolds at North Central Ohio Industrial Museum

MANSFIELD ― If you’re interested in manufacturing, you can come and see hundreds of products made in North Central Ohio — including appliances, tires, pumps, Klondike bars, cigars and pieces made for streetcars.

The North Central Ohio Industrial Museum inside the lower east diagonal wing of the historic Ohio State Reformatory showcases the history of manufacturing in Mansfield and surrounding areas.

Location

The Ohio State Reformatory, 100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield.

Why it matters

The museum traces the history of manufacturing in North Central Ohio since the first steam locomotive came through town in 1846. Exhibits highlight the accomplishments of local residents and industry in peace and war, according to NCOIM President Jerry Miller.

What to see

The NCOIM has several themed sections of exhibits, beginning with “Every town had a mill,” then the Cast Iron Age, City of Stoves, Wires & Electric Exhibits, Cigar & Beer, Wheels, AG Industry and Mickey Rupp, which then begins an exhibit on what is currently manufactured in Richland County.

Miller said the late Bob Glasener started the museum and was responsible for saving many local industrial artifacts over the years. Miller said Glasener’s daughter has in her possession the 1939 World’s Fair Westinghouse (gold-plated) roaster, which she donated to the museum.

The museum is full of surprising finds.

Elektro the Westinghouse robot should be on display this summer at the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum after being restored.

A manhole and stormwater grate from 1935 made by the Tappan Stove Co. are among the treasures Miller helped to preserve. He also has the Tappan marquee and a Westinghouse marquee.

Plan your visit

Hours/admission: The museum will be open the same hours as OSR and will be free to tour with the purchase of a ticket to the prison-turned-museum.

Getting there: OSR is on the north side of Mansfield, just off U.S. 30.

Learn more: mrps.org (OSR is operated by the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society).

Contact Lou Whitmire at 419-5-21-7223. She can be reached at X at @lwhitmir.

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