Madison McGhee all the time believed that her father died from a coronary heart assault – however that every one modified in 2012.
The Charleston, Virginia, native, who was 16 on the time, was visiting her household at her grandmother’s home. She instantly had an odd feeling that she couldn’t breathe. The patriarch was on her thoughts.
“I remember after saying goodbye, I got in the car and asked my mom a very weird question,” McGhee recalled to Fox News Digital. “I wasn’t even sure I understood what I was asking at the time. I asked her if my cousin Omar was with my dad when he died, thinking that he had died of a heart attack.”
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Madison McGhee is decided to solve her father’s homicide and has launched a true-crime podcast, “Ice Cold Case.” (Courtesy of Madison McGhee)
“That’s when my mom told me the truth,” mentioned McGhee. “The truth was my dad was murdered, and it’s still unsolved.”
McGhee, who now resides in Los Angeles, is on a quest to discover out what occurred to her father. She’s the host of the true-crime podcast, “Ice Cold Case,” the place she interviews those that could lead her to solutions.
“For 10 years, my dad in my mind had died of a heart attack,” mentioned McGhee. “But to then find out he died a completely different way? I had to start the process completely over. I had to grieve him all over again. I’ve had to grapple with the truth of what happened to him.”
For years, Madison McGhee thought her father, J.C., died from a coronary heart assault. (Courtesy of Madison McGhee)
On July 11, 2002, John Cornelius McGhee, also referred to as “J.C.,” was shot in the pinnacle in the doorway of his residence in Belmont County, Ohio. He was 45.
McGhee was six years previous on the time.
“My most vivid memories of him are almost like a movie,” mentioned McGhee. “I remember being in the car listening to music with him. The song ‘Hot in Here’ by Nelly had just dropped. My dad also loved playing the ‘Space Jam’ soundtrack. Nothing special happened on those days. I don’t remember birthday parties or anything like that. I just remember those little moments listening to music with him in the car. I remember being loved by my dad.”
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“Ice Cold Case” is accessible for streaming now. (Beck Media)
It wouldn’t be till 2020 that McGhee was compelled to discover out what occurred to J.C. and why his death remains unsolved. The coronavirus pandemic was ongoing, and work had slowed down.
“I knew I needed to do something big if I wanted answers,” mentioned McGhee. “I was furiously making phone calls, trying to get these case files, trying to put in requests, just trying to get any access to any records. I started talking to people and making connections. It was a tough journey.”
McGhee mentioned the recognition of true-crime podcasts impressed her to launch “Ice Cold Case.” She believed it might increase consciousness and encourage anybody with info to come ahead.
Madison McGhee hopes anybody with details about J.C.’s loss of life will come ahead. (Courtesy of Madison McGhee)
“I feel pretty confident that I will get to the bottom of this,” she mentioned. “The podcast has already opened up a conversation that no one has had for 22 years. It’s shaken people up a bit, but I also think it opened their eyes to this unsolved case. The locals are talking about it. People who remember this happening are now having epiphanies. . . . It’s shaken up the community and people are wondering why this case isn’t solved. . . . The impact is undeniable. And I don’t want anyone to get away with this.”
The podcast revealed that J.C. had been a drug dealer-turned-informant. (Courtesy of Madison McGhee)
According to the podcast, J.C. had been a drug dealer-turned-informant. He helped police arrest a number of individuals, together with one in every of his nephews, who was sentenced to life in jail. While the police concluded that J.C.’s homicide had been a house invasion gone improper, McGhee had her doubts.
“This investigation was very inconclusive and incomplete in my opinion,” McGhee defined. “. . . And I think people who have information are afraid to talk. If the person who killed my dad isn’t in prison for something else, then that means there’s a killer on the loose. That element makes people afraid to talk. They don’t know if my dad got killed potentially because he was a snitch. What message does that send to people who would want to come forward with information?”
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Madison McGhee mentioned it was her mom who revealed the reality. (Courtesy of Madison McGhee)
That hasn’t deterred McGhee.
“I’ve heard from family members that they are less than thrilled about this show,” she admitted. “I think they’re upset about the skeletons coming out of the closet. Some of them, I think… are worried about how they would be implicated in this. So, they are sending crazy messages. And I think that’s also interesting. It’s a bit telling when someone is feeling so openly defensive. It almost sheds a light on them that maybe they didn’t want.”
McGhee mentioned that after being in the darkish for thus lengthy, she didn’t assume twice about placing the highlight on those that could have solutions.
“I want people to see my father as human. He was a victim, regardless of the circumstances. My dad was a drug dealer, but he was also my dad,” Madison McGhee mentioned. (Courtesy of Madison McGhee)
“My dad used to speak to my mother fairly a bit about pondering that someone was going to kill him,” McGhee claimed. “I think he knew and dealt with the weight of his decisions and his lifestyle. My mom used to say, ‘Oh stop, you’re going to be OK. Don’t say that.’ It’s very easy to brush it off, like, ‘You’re a little paranoid. You’re being a little dramatic.’ I think my dad just had a very strong intuition that something was going to happen to him. And it did.”
Madison McGhee mentioned her father J.C. feared for his life shortly earlier than he was killed. (Courtesy of Madison McGhee)
When McGhee heard the 911 name for the primary time, she was left with extra questions than solutions.
“It didn’t make a lot of sense,” she mentioned. “When I think of a home invasion, I think of a robbery. . . . Nothing was stolen. . . .You would have also heard the gunshot. My dad’s house was on this small hill, but the hill kept going. Then there’s a highway. It echoes. . . . But nothing was brought up about a gunshot. It just seemed strange for a home invasion. It’s all strange.”
McGhee mentioned that since “Ice Cold Case” launched, she has gotten ideas and is exploring new leads. She is hopeful that, ultimately, she’s going to uncover the id of the one who shot J.C.
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Madison McGhee was six years previous when she misplaced her father. (Courtesy of Madison McGhee)
“Everyone deserves justice – there’s no such thing as the perfect victim,” mentioned McGhee. “I handled a variety of uphill battles to get this present out into the world as a result of nobody needed to assist me. They simply noticed a drug dealer-turned-informant from Ohio. But my dad was a lot greater than that.”
“I want people to see my father as human,” she continued. “He was a victim, regardless of the circumstances. My dad was a drug dealer, but he was also my dad. He did not deserve to die in this way. It’s very easy to say, ‘That’s what he signed up for,’ but no one deserves to be murdered.”
Through the grief, McGhee has gained a deeper appreciation for the person she solely knew for six years.
Madison McGhee is decided to discover out what occurred to J.C. (Beck Media)
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“My dad was a good dad,” she mentioned. “He was dynamic and a good person. I’m now learning from people how he was so generous and helped the people he loved. When you needed help, he was there. . . . Now I’m there for him.”
