There are billions of people in the world, so odds are that you’re going to discovered that someone shares the same name as you. What might not necessarily be as likely is that person being the subject of an unsolved violent death.
That’s what Jaime Stickle learned by happenstance during a job interview, of all places. She learned of another Jamie Stickle who died a violent death, burned to death in her Jeep in Pittsburgh. Jamie was a beloved figure in Pittsburgh, a philanthropist and bartender in the LGBTQ+ community; her death sent a shockwave across the city. Jaime began digging deep into Jamie’s case, a death never classified as a homicide despite evidence to the contrary. This prompted she and her investigative team to interview experts in law enforcement, law, and forensics, as well people close to Jamie and those close to the possible killer. In Jamie and her team’s podcast, The Girl with the Same Name, the hope is to give a voice to the voiceless, a spotlight on a case that has been long abandoned by authorities.
With the first episode of The Girl with the Same Name: The Cold Case of Jamie Stickle; A True Crime Podcast by Jaime Stickle out now, I spoke with Jaime Stickle recently about how she first encountered the tale of Jamie Stickle, what compelled her to take a deep dive into the mystery of Jamie, the journey of trying to unearth information about the case, and her plans for more stories of Jamie and other mysteries.
FreakSugar: So, before we get into the podcast and your work, can you describe the first time you were told you had the same name of the deceased Jamie Stickle? What feelings did you experience?
Jaime Stickle: The first time I learned about Jamie Stickle I was on a job interview and the man that was interviewing me had Googled my name—which I had never even thought of doing until that moment. And, right after saying hello, he asked me if my name was really Jaime Stickle. After I confirmed, he went on to tell me that he couldn’t believe it, a woman with my name had been brutally killed. He was incredibly fascinated, giddy almost when he told me about the article he had read.
It was so uncomfortable, and I was young. I thought I had to smile back and agree, that yep, that’s weird. I think I may have even said something like, thank God it wasn’t me. But, Jamie’s story stuck with me. I would awkwardly talk about the coincidence at parties and I would Google our name regularly to see if there was anything new to her story. New leads. An arrest. A witness or suspect. I wanted there to be something different, more information but there never was and that was disappointing. I felt a lot of disappointment.
FS: The story of Jamie Stickle is a compelling and tragic one. What made you want to dig deeper into the mystery?
JS: Jamie Stickle’s story is especially compelling and tragic because it was left as undetermined. They didn’t classify it as a homicide. Yet, there was a body, there was blood, there was a scene that looked like a crime had been committed. The constant badgering of every Google search of myself that populated Jamie’s story instead–I had no choice but to dig deeper.
FS: You’ve crafted the story in the form of a podcast. Why did you choose podcasting as the medium for telling Jamie’s tale?
JS: I love podcasting as a medium. We’re able to reach people on their commutes, on their treadmills, while they’re at work. You cannot do that with television. And because podcasts don’t require a subscription or pay, Jamie’s story can be heard by everyone. More listeners means more people to join the fight for Jamie.
FS: Without giving anything away, what has been most surprising to you as you investigate Jamie’s death? And do you feel that what you have learned has impacted you directly?
JS: The most surprising aspect of investigating Jamie’s death is the fear that still permeates Jamie’s community. There is an oppressive amount of fear that her death left behind. The fear that the killer is still there in the community and any one of the people Jamie knew could be harmed. It’s very real. And 22 years hasn’t dissipated that fear. At times it was contagious and that impacted me, because I certainly didn’t want to put anyone in Jamie’s community in harm’s way, or my own family.
FS: What kind of hurdles or obstacles have you had to overcome through the course of the investigation?
JS: There have been so many obstacles and hurdles. First, not every state, or precinct within a state has the same policy when it comes to the Freedom of Information Act. So, getting Jamie’s case file, a 22-year-old, inactive, undetermined death case file has not been easy. We’re still working on it. And, Jamie died right before social media. Finding every person in her life at the time leading up to her death has also been trying at times. It’s taken months and a lot of phone calls, emails, DMs to strangers to get to people. It’s been challenging.
FS: The podcast is set for a six-episode season. Do you plan on doing more episodes about Jamie and/or someone else beyond these first six episodes?
JS: We do plan on doing more episodes about Jamie. Again, her case is ongoing. We’re hoping that the show brings new evidence or leads to the police and that Jamie’s story can be reactivated and listed as a homicide. We’ll be following her story until it’s told with an ending.
And, yes, we want to tell everyone’s story. Everyone who ‘s been the victim of a violent death and whose story was left without answers. Everyone’s story is important. Everyone deserves to be known for who they were in life, not just as the victim of a crime.
The first episode of The Girl with the Same Name: The Cold Case of Jamie Stickle; A True Crime Podcast by Jaime Stickle is now out on Spotify and wherever you listen to your podcasts.
From the official press release about the series:
Jamie Stickle—a popular and beloved bartender and philanthropist in Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ community, was burned to death at 3:45 in morning on February 8, 2002. She was tragically, violently killed in her Jeep Wrangler, which was parked outside her home. Despite a great deal of evidence indicating a homicide, Jamie’s case was never classified as such, and remains unsolved to this day.
Twenty years later, Jamie Stickle — a writer, actor, and podcaster who lives in Los Angeles and co-hosts the popular podcast, Make That Paper — has made it her mission to tell Jamie’s story, explore the many reasons her case went cold, and discover what happened, both in 2002 and in the years since. Together with her co-host and husband Jason Beeber, Jamie Stickle sets out to tell Jamie’s story, explore the many reasons her case remains unsolved, and discover what has transpired in the years since. Their new, investigative podcast THE GIRL WITH THE SAME NAME: THE COLD CASE OF JAMIE STICKLE; A TRUE CRIME PODCAST BY JAIME STICKLE will debut on all major streaming platforms on February 15, 2024 with Make That Paper Productions.
“When I was 23 years old I went to a job interview,” said THE GIRL WITH THE SAME NAME’s Jamie Stickle. “The man sitting across the desk from me asked, ‘is your name really Jaime Stickle?’ He went on to say that a woman named Jamie Stickle had been murdered. Burned to death in her Jeep in Pittsburgh. It was jarring. But my life went on, and from time to time I would Google my name and before any version of myself was listed there was always the same, single news article of Jamie’s death: no new articles, no new information, no trial, no suspects, no killer named. In this podcast, we will work tirelessly to have the manner of death reclassified as a Homicide. Most importantly, we will try to redefine her legacy, remembering her for the wonderful person she was.”
The investigative team of THE GIRL WITH THE SAME NAME has interviewed Jamie’s sister Julie Broadwater, and have been in communication with and have the support of Jamie’s father James. Beyond members of Jamie’s immediate family, interviews have been conducted with many of Jamie’s friends, co-workers, and employers; the world-renowned forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht, who happened to be the County Coroner at the time of her death (although he did not perform her autopsy.) Police experts, legal experts, medical experts, and journalists have also been interviewed, and a number of off-the-record interviews with individuals close to the victim and in law enforcement have also been conducted. The team also interviewed individuals close with the person who was informally accused of Jamie’s murder.
“By investigating and telling the story of Jamie Stickle’s death, this podcast rebukes a system that determines who is important enough to have their story told,” said Senior Producer Jason Beeber. “We explore this larger question as we review newspaper articles written from 2002, interview the people in charge of investigating this death, and hear from a community that lives in active fear and pain over the passing of a dear friend.”
Make That Paper Productions will release the first episode of THE GIRL WITH THE SAME NAME: THE COLD CASE OF JAMIE STICKLE; A TRUE CRIME PODCAST BY JAIME STICKLE on February 15, 2024. Each of the subsequent episodes will run 30 – 45 minutes. The podcast will be hosted on Spotify, and will be available for streaming on all major podcasting platforms, including (but not limited to): Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Amazon Music/Audible, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, and Stitcher.
About Make That Paper Productions: Based in Hollywood, California, MTP Productions began five years ago on the eve of a global pandemic by writer/producer Jaime Stickle and actor/director Jason Beeber.
Jaime Stickle is a writer, producer, and professor who holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside. She is the creator and co-host of the Make That Paper podcast, a show that examines all the strange side hustles artists do to support their art. She was selected as a Fellow for the Virginia G. Piper Desert Nights Rising Stars writers conference and teaches storytelling, podcasting, and Los Angeles media industry for the Montclair State University study in L.A. program. She is currently editing her debut novel represented by the Hill Nadell Literary Agency.
Jason Beeber is a graduate of the University of Southern California, and has found his niche as a multifaceted creative at the intersection of entertainment and technology. He is known for compelling storytelling and podcast production, including the hit show Make That Paper. Beyond podcast production, Jason’s versatility extends to acting, writing, directing, and technology.