In 1996, 36-year-old Susan Walsh reportedly left her house in Nutley, New Jersey, and was never seen again. The freelance writer, mother and sex worker is presumed dead, but her body has never been found. Her disappearances made headlines worldwide. In 2020, the mysterious case – and the misogyny in the original reporting about it and sexist remarks from the original investigating officers – caught the attention of journalist Arwa Mahdawi. With support from the Fund, Mahdawi spent two years fighting the town of Nutley to release police records from the case. A judge finally ordered the records released, and Mahdawi interviewed key sources and analyzed the material for a seven-part series in Flaming Hydra. The attention around the release of the records prompted police to start reinvestigating and sparked a new CBS documentary on the case.
Grantee’s fight for answers in 1996 ‘cold case’ sparks reinvestigation
