Unsolved true crime podcast bringing attention to cases that need it.

Researched, written and hosted by crime analyst Leah Owens. Co-hosted by Scott Owens.

UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: LORI ZIMMERMAN

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When a Maryland teen is abducted and murdered on her way home from school, the tragedy leaves a lasting impression on her community. Cold case investigators persevere decades later, striving to identify a killer they believe is still in the area in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

Lori Zimmerman was 15-years-old when she went missing from Hagerstown, Maryland on her way home from school in 1984. Her body was found in a wooded area outside of town soon after. Her murder remains unsolved. Image source: family photo.
Lori was a student at South Hagerstown High School, and her mother’s only child. Image source: family photo.
Jeffrey Eldon Miles Sr is a convicted murderer who beat a teenage girl to death. He’s known to have killed two women, and is considered a possible suspect in Lori’s murder.
Lori’s murder devastated her mom, Sandra. Lori was her only child, and the loss of her haunted Sandra until she died without answers in 2020. Here, she holds a portrait of her daughter and describes her grief decades after her murder. Image source: The Herald Mail.

Sources used to research this episode:

Maryland Mysteries: Lorraine Zimmerman (WMAR-2 News)

Looking for Closure in Unsolved Murder of Lorraine ‘Lori’ Zimmerman (Herald Mail)

15-Year-Old’s Slaying a Mystery 27 Years Later (Washington Examiner)

Case of Missing Girl Raises Questions About Timing (Robert Benjamin / The Baltimore Sun)

Police Open 1984 Murder Case (The Capital)

Jeffrey Miles Pleads Guilty to Murder of Hagerstown Woman (Herald Mail)

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA v. JEFFREY ELDON MILES, SR. Appellant (Superior Court of Pennsylvania)

Skeletal Remains of 17-year-old Angie Daley Found on Farm in Washington Township (Denise Bonura / The Record Herald)

UPDATE: Police say Jeffrey Miles killed Angie Daley with 2-by-4 (Denise Bonura / The Record Herald)

Western Md. Man Pleads Guilty to Raping Child, 2 Women (Associated Press)

Man Gets Life + 100 Years for Raping 11-Year-Old Girl and Two Women (David Dishneau / Associated Press)

Four Decades Later, Police Still Piecing Together the Murder of Lorraine Zimmerman (Amanda Engel / WMAR2 News)

If you know anything about the murder of Lori Zimmerman, please contact the Maryland State Police Criminal Investigations Bureau at 410-653-4211.

2 responses to “UNSOLVED HOMICIDE: LORI ZIMMERMAN”

  1. Amy Jenkins Avatar
    Amy Jenkins

    I was pleasantly surprised to finally hear a podcast about Lori’s case. You could say it was the case that got me into true crime. I grew up in Hagerstown and my mother and Lori’s mother were friends. While I was too young to remember Lori, every time we passed their house or even remotely went near where she was found, my mom would often wonder out loud if they would ever find her murderer. My mom has passed now and I’ve moved away, but it still doesn’t keep me from occasionally looking up the case to see if there have been any breakthroughs. I’m hoping with the advent of genetic genealogy that maybe one of these days I’ll do a search and find there has been one. Thank you for putting Lori’s case out there.

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    1. Leah O Avatar
      Leah O

      Hi, Amy! It’s good to hear from someone else from the area–thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. I’m hopeful that Lori’s murderer will (finally) be identified and held responsible. Articles published within the last couple years mention DNA recovered from the scene, and I’m hoping there’s a quality sample that can aid the investigation–either that, and / or someone will come forward with needed information.

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