In the Dump Truck (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)

In June 2005, someone bought a prepaid cell phone with cash at a Derry, New Hampshire gas station, ensuring their calls couldn't be traced. Eight days later, that phone lured truck driver Jack Reed to his death.

Jack Reed's Life and Final Days

Jack Reed, 57, had built a trucking business from nothing after a tough childhood in foster care. He lived frugally in a trailer behind a warehouse, parking his red-and-black dump truck there, and dreamed of retiring to Las Vegas after his son finished school. He was proud of his daughter Megan's high school graduation and remained on good terms with her mother, Virginia, despite their split. Jack disapproved of 18-year-old Megan moving in with her boyfriend, Walter, but kept peace at the party.

Nearly two years earlier, Jack had confronted and shot at a prowler who called his name from the woods—an incident that left him wary of noises outside. On June 27, after a morning trash job, his phone rang: a man named "Charlie" needed a barn cleaned at 145 North Road in Deerfield, 30 miles away. Jack logged the details hastily and headed there around 3 p.m., exhausted in the heat. He never returned.

Two days later, Megan and Walter checked his trailer; the truck was gone, but Jack missed a job and ignored calls. Virginia joined them, and by evening, they called police.

Body Found in the Dump Truck