Who Killed Katie? | The Case That Left Me Completely Unsettled

Katie Kerns, known for her sweet and trusting nature, took on a third job bartending at Woody's Bar in Joliet to save for car repairs. Her family and friends expressed significant concerns about her safety due to the bar's location in a high-crime area, its sketchy reputation, and the unreliable car she drove for late-night shifts. These concerns were amplified by recent attacks on women in the vicinity and a burglary at the bar itself.

Katie's dad, a liquor distributor, knew the dangers of bartending. The pizza place Katie also worked at had off-duty police and firefighters, offering a sense of security absent at Woody's. Woody's was located in a 'pretty big pocket' of a dangerous area in Joliet, a city with a history of serious crime, including the Old Joliet prison and John Wayne Gacy's body dumping.

The podcast highlights a common misconception that one must wait 24 or 48 hours to report a missing person. This is a myth; there is no mandatory wait time in the United States, and police are advised to take reports immediately, especially for vulnerable individuals. In Illinois, it is against state law for law enforcement to refuse an in-person missing person report for any reason.

Katie's family initially went to social media before filing an official report, partly due to this widespread belief. The host explicitly states, 'There is no mandatory wait time to report a missing person in the United States. So, the whole idea that you have to wait 24 or 48 hours, it's all a myth.'

Katie's disappearance was linked to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, a prominent 1%er gang founded in 1935. These clubs are known for violence, a 'code of silence' similar to the mafia, and a misogynistic culture where women are not patched members and can be 'arm candy' or even 'shared'. Clubhouses serve as social hubs and places for illicit business, with members often crashing there to avoid drunk driving.

Journalist Frank Main, a Pulitzer Prize winner who investigated motorcycle clubs for 30 years, described Outlaws as 'full of violent guys' who 'don't take anything from anybody' and have a motto: 'God forgives, Outlaws don't.' He detailed their history of battling rival gangs like the Hells Angels and their connection to the mafia. The Joliet clubhouse had a sign reading, 'Is there life after death? Trespass here and find out.'

At trial, Jeremy Boshears, Katie's Outlaw boyfriend, claimed Katie died by suicide after a heated argument about his marriage. He testified she grabbed a gun and shot herself. The defense attempted to bolster this by revealing Katie's history of depression and a recent suicide attempt. However, the prosecution's forensic expert quickly disproved this theory with ballistic evidence.

Jeremy testified that Katie said 'Fuck you' and pulled the trigger. Katie's father confirmed her battle with depression and bipolar disorder, and a hospital bracelet from a recent suicide attempt was found in her purse. However, ballistic testing revealed Katie's hands were 'completely free from gunshot residue,' directly contradicting Boshears' account.

The prosecution argued that Jeremy Boshears murdered Katie, then made over 30 phone calls to other Outlaw members, including the club president, Jimmy McCoy, to help clean the crime scene and dispose of her body, adhering to the club's code of silence. Despite overwhelming evidence leading to his conviction, Boshears' legal team successfully appealed, and his conviction was overturned in 2024, granting him a new trial.

Jeremy testified that McCoy shut down his suggestion to call the police, referencing the code of silence. Crime scene photos, described as 'incredibly difficult to look at,' showed Katie's body wrapped in a mattress and black plastic, placed on a pool table. Jeremy drove her body 60 miles to another Outlaw's home. The jury found him guilty on all charges after two days of deliberation, but his conviction was later overturned.