The true-crime anthology series “Crime Nation” returns with a new episode, “Death in the Ozarks,” on The CW, Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
Death in the Ozarks examines the tragic murder of Rebekah Gould, a 22-year-old college student whose death shocked the small town of Melbourne, Arkansas, in 2004. Over a decade later, her father’s quest for justice remains unresolved, shrouded by small-town whispers and rumors. Now, a new piece of evidence has emerged, but will it be enough to bring closure to this cold case?
Rebekah Gould was last seen alive on September 20, 2004. After dropping off her boyfriend at work and stopping by a convenience store, she returned to her boyfriend’s residence in Guion, a small town south of Melbourne. There, investigators found her vehicle, keys, purse, and money, along with a mattress flipped over to hide the blood underneath.
A week later, her body was discovered five miles outside of Melbourne, down a 35-foot embankment off Arkansas State Highway 9. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, as she had been bludgeoned with a piano leg.
For 16 years, the case went cold, with no charges brought forward. However, in 2021, a breakthrough occurred when William Alma Miller, a 44-year-old Oregon resident, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Miller confessed to killing Gould, providing a detailed account of the morning of her murder. He claimed to have concealed his pickup truck behind the residence, asked to use the telephone, and then retrieved a piano leg to strike her multiple times.
The investigation into Rebekah Gould’s murder has sparked widespread interest, with true-crime podcasts, books, and blogs dedicated to the case.
Crime Nation: Death in the Ozarks airs on The CW at 8.00 pm on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
