The Casewalker Chronicles
We examine Indiana’s most misunderstood cases with honesty, integrity, and evidence-first investigation, honoring victims while exposing the truths, patterns, and systemic failures hidden beneath the headlines.
The Casewalker Chronicles
EPISODE 3A — JOSEPH WILLIAM SMEDLEY II
In this episode, we examine the disappearance and death of Joseph William Smedley II, a 20-year-old Indiana University student whose body was recovered from Griffy Lake in Bloomington, Indiana, in October 2015.
Within days of recovery, Joseph’s death was ruled a suicide by drowning, and the case was administratively closed.
This episode does not seek to overturn that ruling.
Instead, it examines how that ruling was constructed, explained, and presented, and what information is available to the public when a case is closed without judicial testing.
Using the Casewalker Evidence Book Method, we review the publicly visible record of Joseph Smedley’s case, including summarized timelines, law-enforcement statements, and limited incident-level documentation that has been released. We clearly distinguish between what is documented, what is stated in secondary reporting, and where investigatory records are not available in the public record under Indiana public-records law.
This episode reflects our investigative commitment:
Every summary. Every gap. Only what the record supports.
⚠️ This episode discusses death investigation, suicide classification, and unresolved questions surrounding closed cases.
Listener discretion is advised.
Full documentation, sources, missing-person spotlights, and episode updates are available at:
www.thecasewalkerchronicles.com