FILE 540 / 26 October 2024 / 72 MIN / express

Ghost Hunter

Everson, WashingtonListen

The town

N ↑Town centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Everson was named to honor a local pioneer; the county is Whatcom County, in northwestern Washington. about 0:05:55

History, in brief

Town note

Everson was named to honor a local pioneer, Ever Everson, the first European settler north of the Nooksack River.

about 0:05:55

2009

In February 2009 a citizens group and local officials proposed consolidating Everson and Nooksack into a single city.

about 0:06:36

Town note

The towns shared several municipal services at the time and a combined government was said to provide cost savings.

about 0:06:51
All 7 history facts

Town note

Everson was named to honor a local pioneer, Ever Everson, the first European settler north of the Nooksack River.

about 0:05:55

2009

In February 2009 a citizens group and local officials proposed consolidating Everson and Nooksack into a single city.

about 0:06:36

Town note

The towns shared several municipal services at the time and a combined government was said to provide cost savings.

about 0:06:51

1903

The Bellingham Herald compared the proposed merger to the four towns that formed Bellingham in 1903.

about 0:06:59

Town note

Names proposed for the new city included Nooksack Valley.

about 0:07:07

Town note

The proposal was dropped after a unanimous vote by the Nooksack City Council not to move forward.

about 0:07:24

The figures, as told

Money

Median home value$431,100
Median household income$63,958
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2024

Population

"2,859"

No direction stated.

As told in 2024 about 0:05:27

Median household income

"$63,958"

Comparison: "slightly below the national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2024 about 0:05:27

Median home cost

"$431,100"

Comparison: "well above the national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2024 about 0:05:48

The reviews

3.0 / 5 · average of 2

5 stars

“A lifelong resident calls it the perfect little big town: comfy, with everyone knowing everyone and the bigger cities not far away.”
about 0:07:45

1 star

“A true small town with one small grocery store, a drug store, a dentist, an eye doctor and a physician, a couple of local restaurants and no mainstream restaurant other than Little Caesar's; schools in Nooksack are decent, you get more house for your money than in Bellingham, it is fifteen minutes from the Canadian border and twenty to thirty from shopping in Bellingham, quiet and simple but it rains.”
about 0:08:16

In Washington

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The story

Everson is a small town of about 2,859 people in Whatcom County in north-western Washington, roughly an hour and three-quarters from Seattle and fifteen minutes from the Canadian border. It was named for the pioneer Ever Everson, the first European settler north of the Nooksack River, and was incorporated in 1929.

The children's father died on 13 December 1991 of an ongoing heart condition.

In 1994 the couple met Floyd Robert England, a 59-year-old finish carpenter who lived in his van and travelled for work, at a bar. England had just been paid in cash and was flashing hundred-dollar bills.

After a few months she left them at the apartment and moved to Deming; the children fended for themselves for four months before an aunt and uncle collected them. By the end of 2009 the relationship had soured.

The next day, 15 February, Mark had the day off. She claimed Mark was watching the television programme Supernatural and made a remark about killing ghosts, and that she took a shotgun from the rack and put the barrel under her chin, saying she would kill herself too. As she put the gun back, she said, it went off, hitting Mark in the right side of the chest. She covered him with a blanket, called Rod and left with him; Rod called 911 the following day.

The prosecution argued the shooting was deliberate and that her account was physically impossible, and the court allowed evidence of the couple's quarrels.

The case

Murder of Floyd Robert England

Victims

Floyd Robert England (59). Finish carpenter from a moonshining family in southern Missouri who lived in his van and travelled for work.

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 26 October 2024.

Accused

Accused

Outcome

Other people

The timeline

  1. 1963 is bornabout 0:11:53
  2. 1973 is bornabout 0:14:56
  3. 1986 daughter Daisy is bornabout 0:11:56
  4. 1988 son is bornabout 0:12:01
  5. December 13th, 1991 The children's father dies of an ongoing heart conditionabout 0:12:16
  6. the early 1990s meets about 0:13:44
  7. 1994 and meet Floyd Robert England at a barabout 0:15:07
  8. 1994 shoots Floyd England in his van on a dirt road near Concrete (Floyd England's van)about 0:18:32
  9. November 30th, 1994 The couple are captured at the Sumas Border Crossing returning from Canada (Sumas Border Crossing)about 0:19:12

Murder of Mark McCollum

Victims

Mark McCollum (47). partner of about thirteen years, born April 4th, 1961; shot in the chest.

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 26 October 2024.

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Shirley. Mark's mother, whose answering machine left messages on
Scott McCollum. Mark's brother, who said justice was served
Rod Pody. family friend who drove away and later called 911
Valentina Velashenko. acquaintance told at the dialysis centre
Mike. Mark's best friend, in kidney dialysis
Peter Stevenson. Whatcom County sheriff's deputy dispatched to the shooting

The timeline

  1. April 4th, 1961 Mark McCollum is bornabout 0:21:26
  2. 1998 meets Mark at a bar and brings him back to the family home in Kendall (Kendall family home)about 0:21:34
  3. 1998 leaves Daisy and at the apartment and moves to Deming (The apartment left the children in)about 0:22:34
  4. four months later An aunt and uncle come to collect the childrenabout 0:23:56
  5. the end of 2009 The relationship worsens and Mark often stays at his mother's house to sleep (Shirley McCollum's house)about 0:35:35
  6. February 14th, 2010 leaves three messages on Shirley's answering machine threatening to call the police (Shirley McCollum's house)about 0:37:22
  7. February 15th, 2010 Mark, and Rod Pody spend the day at the Nooksack Casino and are home by about 8.20pm (Nooksack Casino)about 0:54:51
  8. February 15th, 2010 Mark is shot in the chest in the bedroom at about 10.30pm ( and Mark's house)about 0:58:25

Places and phrases

N ↑Town centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode