Sign-In
Cart
Footprints in the Snow: The Abduction and Murder of Maria Ridulph, the Wrongful Conviction of Jack McCullough, and the Case That Still Haunts Sycamore
Paperback
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: May 4 2026
Pages: 246
Weight: 0.74
Height: 0.52 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Snow falls over Sycamore, Illinois, and two girls play beneath a streetlight on a familiar corner. One runs home for mittens. The other, seven-year-old Maria Ridulph, is left with a young man who calls himself Johnny-and then she is gone.
Footprints in the Snow is a true crime book about a missing child, a grieving family, and a town that never fully returned to the safety it believed it had. Maria's disappearance on 3 December 1957 became a cold case carried by memory, fear, and the need for an answer.
How could a child vanish so close to home? The trail begins with a doll, a snowy neighborhood game, and an eyewitness account formed in childhood. Months later, Maria's remains were found near Woodbine, far from Archie Place, while decomposition left the original autopsy unable to name a definitive cause of death.
A child was taken. A town remembered. The record refused to stay simple.
The narrative follows the investigation from the first search through the FBI's early involvement, the long years of uncertainty, and the later focus on John Tessier, known in court history as Jack McCullough. A 2012 conviction seemed to transform an unsolved murder into delayed justice, but the story did not end there.
What happens when memory, family allegations, jailhouse testimony, and public longing press against old records? The book traces the forensic evidence that could and could not speak, including the 2011 exhumation, the absence of usable transfer DNA, and the limits of sharp-force findings that did not establish a final mechanism or time of death.
At the center is a timeline that became decisive. Illinois Bell records, a Rockford pay-phone call, and military recruitment contact evidence later forced prosecutors and courts to confront whether McCullough could have been in Sycamore when Maria disappeared. In 2016, his conviction was vacated; in 2017, he received a certificate of innocence.
This is not a story that offers easy closure. It is a small town mystery about loss, memory, official pressure, and wrongful conviction, showing the danger of treating resolution as proof. When a community wants an ending, who protects the truth from becoming another casualty?
Readers will uncover the street-corner encounter, the shifting suspect theories, the role of Kathy Sigman's eyewitness account, the emergence of William Henry Redmond as an alternative suspect, and the legal reversal that returned Maria Ridulph's murder to its unresolved status. The book moves carefully through grief and evidence, keeping Maria's life at the center while showing how justice can falter when certainty outruns proof.
This Book Is For Readers Who...
- Want a victim-centered account of a historic Illinois child-abduction case
- Follow investigations where timelines, records, and memory collide
- Are drawn to courtroom reversals and the human cost behind them
- Value careful treatment of disputed evidence and witness identification
- Read narrative nonfiction about law enforcement limits and institutional pressure
- Seek a reflective account of how communities carry grief across generations
- Prefer atmospheric case writing that respects victims without sensational detail
Perfect For Fans Of...
- Victim-centered investigative nonfiction
- Mid-century American crime narratives
- Courtroom reversal and innocence-case studies
- Rural Midwest historical investigations
- Records-driven legal case analysis
- Atmospheric, reflective crime reporting
Maria Ridulph's name endures because her life mattered before the case became famous, before the conviction, before the reversal, and before the unanswered questions returned. Read now to follow the snow-covered trail from first fear to unfinished truth.
Also from
Halden, Adrian
Death in the Machine Shed: A True Story of Murder, Fire, and a Verdict That Still Haunts South Dakota
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
Last Night on the Splendour: Natalie Wood, Catalina Island, and the Death That Still Divides Hollywood
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
No Name in Room 2805: An Evidence-Aware True-Crime Account of Jennifer Fairgate and the Missing Identity
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Tent at Camp Scott: The Murders of Lori Farmer Michele Guse and Denise Milner
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
West Mesa Murders: Eleven Women, an Unsolved Case, and the Search for Justice in Albuquerque
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Connecticut River Valley Murders: Seven Women, One Survivor, and New England's Unsolved Cold Case
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Bungalow on Alvarado: The Unsolved Murder of William Desmond Taylor and the Hollywood Scandal That Shook Silent Film
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
A House with Too Many Keys: Money, Access, and the Unsolved Fifth Avenue Murder of Serge Rubinstein
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
One Damaged Record: The Keddie Murders, the Evidence, and the Answer the Law Never Reached
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
House Above the Lake: The Evidence, the Locked File, and the Unresolved Valerie Percy Case
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
Three Names Before the Myth: The Children, the Evidence, and the Unfinished Record of the West Memphis Murders
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Photograph and the Road: Tara Calico, Highway 47, and What the Evidence Could Not Prove
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Ax Under the Granary: The Unresolved Murder of John Hossack and the Trial of Margaret Hossack
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Alley Behind Second Avenue: The Unresolved Murder of Walter Liggett and the Power System That Survived Him
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
Under Belvedere Avenue: The Unsolved Murder of Carolyn Wasilewski and the Baltimore Cold Case That Became a Legend
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Girl at the Fox Tower: The Unsolved Murder of Pamela Werner and the Cold Case Between Empire and Public Memory
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
Night on Wonderland: A Laurel Canyon Massacre, a Botched Robbery, and the Power That Buried the Truth
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Body the Sea Kept: Natalee Holloway, the 2023 Confession, and What the Record Could Not Restore
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Last Room on Charles Street: Mary Sullivan, DNA Evidence, and the Limits of the Boston Strangler Story
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The House That Would Not Answer: Andrew and Abby Borden, the Lizzie Borden Trial, and the Evidence That Refuses Closure
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Bright World Vanished: The Disappearance, Evidence, and Unresolved Death of Marcia Moore
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Texarkana Saxophone Murders: The Unsolved Murders of Betty Jo Booker and Paul Martin in the 1946 Moonlight Case
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
At the Edge of Springfield: The Unresolved Death of Jeannette DePalma and the New Jersey Cold Case Behind the Rumors
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
The Roomer at the Window: The Suspicious Death of Stephen Mak and the Detroit Murder Conviction That Failed
Halden, Adrian
Paperback
Also in
True Crime
Will to Murder: The True Story Behind the Crimes & Trials Surrounding the Glensheen Killings
Feichtinger, Gail
Paperback
Mary's Mosaic: The CIA Conspiracy to Murder John F. Kennedy, Mary Pinchot Meyer, and Their Vision for World Peace
Janney, Peter
Hardcover
Dawn of the Code War: America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat
Carlin, John P.
Graff, Garrett M.
Paperback
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Hardcover
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
Larson, Erik
Paperback
Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast
Colloff, Pamela
Hardcover
The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright: The True Story of Mass Murder in Paradise
Sherman, Casey
Hardcover
The Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria's Romance Scammers
Barragán, Carlos
Hardcover
Blizzard of Lies: Karen Read, John O'Keefe, and the Shocking Unsolved Murder in Cop Town, USA
Wedge, Dave
Hardcover
Face to Face with Whitey Bulger: An FBI Agent's Account of Capturing and Debriefing Boston's Most Notorious Gangster
Ward, Bob
Teahan, Rich
Paperback
Within the House of Murdaugh: Amid a Unique Friendship, Blanca and Maggie
Turrubiate-Simpson, Blanca
Weaver, Mary Frances
Paperback
The Typewriter and the Guillotine: An American Journalist, a German Serial Killer, and Paris on the Eve of WWII
Braude, Mark
Hardcover
The Vampire's Cult: The Untold Story of Obsession, Control, and a Shocking Small-Town Murder
Hardin, Chet
Paperback
Confessions of the Green River Killer: A True Story of Manipulation, Madness, and a Search for Justice
Dilorenzo, Maria
Hardcover
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth (Large Print Edition)
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Paperback
The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St. Louis
O'Shea, Devin Thomas
Hardcover
The Ego Trip: Psychedelic Toads, a Trail of Deaths, and the Guru Who Peddled Transcendence
de Greef, Kimon
Hardcover
Kingdom of Devils: A Tale of Murder in the Shadow of the American Revolution
Grandjean, Katherine
Hardcover
The Man Who Stole the Gods: A True Story of War, Obsession, and a Global Art Conspiracy
Campbell, Matthew
Hardcover
If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood
Olsen, Gregg
Paperback
Fires in the Night: The Earth Liberation Front, the Fbi, and a Secret History of Eco-Sabotage
Wolfe, Matthew
Hardcover
White Elephant Gifts for Adult: 500 Serial Killers Encyclopedia Facts and Figures
Murdle, K.
Paperback
Captain's Dinner: A Shipwreck, an Act of Cannibalism, and a Murder Trial That Changed Legal History
Cohen, Adam
Hardcover
American Reich: A Murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazis, and a New Age of Hate
Lichtblau, Eric
Hardcover
Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil's Biggest Bet
Gardiner, Beth
Hardcover
The Best Kind of American: A True Story of Murder, War, and America's Undoing in the Middle East
Ghattas, Kim
Hardcover
The Havana Syndrome: Secret Weapons, a Government Cover-Up, and the Greatest Spy Mystery of Our Time
Rey, Michael
Zill de Granados, Oriana
Hardcover
The Death of Trotsky: The True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy
Ireland, Josh
Hardcover
Chasing Evil: Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent's Search for Hope and Justice
Hilland, Robert
Edward, John
Hardcover
One Nation Under Blackmail - Vol. 1: The Sordid Union Between Intelligence and Crime That Gave Rise to Jeffrey Epstein, Vol.1
Webb, Whitney Alyse
Paperback
Don't Talk about Joe Mac: The Life, Wars, and Secret History of the Man Behind the Winter Hill Gang
Toledo, Springs
Hardcover
Brain Games - Criminal Mind Puzzles: Crime-Themed Brain Teasers Visual, Verbal, Memory & Logic Puzzles Spiral Bound Activity Book for Adults & Teens
Publications International Ltd
Brain Games
Paperback
Clinton Bush and CIA Conspiracies: From The Boys on the Tracks to Jeffrey Epstein
Attwood, Shaun
Paperback
Thirteen Perfect Fugitives: The True Story of the Mob, Murder, and the World's Largest Art Heist
Kelly, Geoffrey
Hardcover
The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America's Lawsuit Factory
Chamblee Burch, Elizabeth
Hardcover
The Doctors' Riot of 1788: Body Snatching, Bloodletting, and Anatomy in America
McPhee, Andy
Hardcover
The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars
Collins, Paul
Paperback
Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast (Large Print Edition)
Colloff, Pamela
Paperback
Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail
Lankford, Andrea
Paperback
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
Johnson, Kirk Wallace
Paperback
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
McNamara, Michelle
Paperback
Without Consent: A Landmark Trial and the Decades-Long Struggle to Make Spousal Rape a Crime
Weinman, Sarah
Hardcover
Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida
King, Gilbert
Hardcover
The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther
Haas, Jeffrey
Paperback
Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & the Dark Heart of the Hippie Dream
McGowan, David
Paperback
College Girl, Missing: The True Story of How a Young Woman Disappeared in Plain Sight
Cohen, Shawn
Paperback
Lucky Devils: The True Story of Three Rebel Gamblers Who Beat the Odds and Changed the Game
Chellel, Kit
Hardcover
Compton Street Legend: Notorious Keffe D's Street-Level Accounts of Tupac and Biggie Murders, Death Row Origins, Suge Knight, Puffy Combs, and Crooked
Davis, Duane 'keffe D'
Jah, Yusuf
Paperback
Dig Me a Grave: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Who Seduced the South
Harpootlian, Richard A.
Assael, Shaun
Hardcover
The Assassination of Leon Trotsky: Espionage, Scandal, and the Crime of the Century
West, Nigel
Melton, H. Keith
Hardcover
The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Paperback
Who's Watching Shorty?: Reclaiming Myself from the Shame of R. Kelly's Abuse
Landfair, Reshona
Hardcover
Starstruck: A Journalist's Pursuit of a Fugitive Pop Star, Her Diabolical Maestro, and Their Teenage Sex Cult
McDougall, Christopher
Paperback
The Rembrandt Heist: The Story of a Criminal Genius, a Stolen Masterpiece, and an Enigmatic Friendship
Amore, Anthony M.
Hardcover
Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy Inside the Catholic Church
Gore, Gareth
Paperback
The Monsters We Make: Murder, Obsession, and the Rise of Criminal Profiling
Corbett, Rachel
Hardcover
50 True Stories That Will Scare You to Death: True Crime, Hauntings, Aliens, and More
Krahl, Sebastian
Paperback
Is the Government Legally Killing Us?: Is the Evidence Obvious? How Fear of Death and the Illusion of Freedom Turn Us Into Accomplices to Evil
(Scott Schara), Grace's Dad
Paperback
The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty
Bauerlein, Valerie
Paperback
Confessions of the Green River Killer: A True Story of Manipulation, Madness, and a Search for Justice
Dilorenzo, Maria
Paperback
Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home
Olsen, Gregg
Paperback
Dog's Day: The True Story of a Bank Robbery, Gay Liberation, and Toxic Love That Inspired a Hollywood Classic
Prigge, Matthew J.
Hardcover
People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo--And the Evil That Swallowed Her Up
Parry, Richard Lloyd
Paperback
Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, a Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor
Harmon, Mark
Paperback
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century
Callahan, Maureen
Paperback
Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of the Hunt for the Nation's Most Elusive Serial Killer
Graysmith, Robert
Paperback
Warden Force: The Worst of the Worst and Other True Game Warden Adventures: Episodes 101-114
Hodges, Terry
Paperback
Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest
Olsen, Gregg
Paperback
She Kills: The Murderous Socialite, the Cross-Dressing Bank Robber, and Other True Crime Tales
Hollandsworth, Skip
Hardcover
Within the House of Murdaugh: Amid a Unique Friendship, Blanca and Maggie
Weaver, Mary Frances
Turrubiate-Simpson, Blanca
Hardcover
El Invencible Verano de Liliana / Liliana's Invincible Summer (Premio Pulitzer)
Rivera Garza, Cristina
Paperback
The Serial Killer Coloring Book II: An Adult Coloring Book Full of Notorious Serial Killers
Rosewood, Jack
Paperback
Warden Force: Deadly Intent and Other True Game Warden Adventures: Episodes 76 - 87
Hodges, Terry
Paperback
What the Dead Know: Learning about Life as a New York City Death Investigator
Butcher, Barbara
Paperback
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Larson, Erik
Hardcover
Eleven Days: The Fascinating True Account of Agatha Christie's Mysterious Disappearance
Thompson, Laura
Hardcover
Wired on Wall Street: The Rise and Fall of Tipper X, One of the Fbi's Most Prolific Informants
Hardin, Tom
Hardcover
No Ordinary Bird: Drug Smuggling, a Plane Crash, and a Daughter's Quest for the Truth
Henderson, Artis
Hardcover
A Murderer's Guide to Cleaning: And Other Stories from My Life as a Probation Officer
Baxter, Elizabeth
Hardcover
The Cases That Haunt Us: From Jack the Ripper to JonBenet Ramsey, the Fbi's Legendary Mindhunter Sheds Light on the Mysteries That Won't Go Away
Olshaker, Mark
Douglas, John E.
Paperback
Swans Don't Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer's Daughter
McCollum
Paperback
Vida Y Muerte del Cartel de Medellín / Life and Death of the Medellin Cartel
Lehder, Carlos
Paperback
Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud: The Basis for the Documentary Everyone Is Lying to You for Money
Silverman, Jacob
McKenzie, Ben
Paperback
Trapped Under the Sea: One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness
Swidey, Neil
Paperback
The Secrets of the Séance Society: Illustrated True Stories of Talking to the Dead
Perrin, Lisa
Hardcover