With Briana Johnson
November 26, 2024
In the latest episode of the Murder Police Podcast, listeners are drawn into the poignant and mysterious story of Little Timmy Sterner, a case that has left a small town searching for answers. This episode, the eighth and final installment of the “Never Forget Little Timmy” series, brings to light the emotional journey of Timmy’s family as they grapple with his disappearance and the enduring hope for justice.
The podcast hosts, Wendy and David Lyons, sit down with Bree, Timmy’s cousin, to delve into the memories and experiences that define Timmy’s life. Bree paints a vivid picture of a tight-knit family where Timmy was more than just a cousin—he was like a brother. From shared childhood adventures to the protective bond they shared, Bree recounts stories that highlight Timmy’s loyalty and humor, traits that endeared him to those around him.
As the episode unfolds, listeners learn about the challenges Timmy faced, including his time in prison and the struggles of reintegration into society. Bree candidly shares her feelings of betrayal when Timmy’s actions strained their relationship, yet her love and hope for his return remain unwavering. The family’s anguish is palpable as they recount the days following Timmy’s release and the unsettling silence that followed his disappearance.
This episode is not just a recounting of events; it’s a call to action. The podcast underscores the importance of community awareness and the power of collective memory in seeking justice. As Bree implores listeners to keep Timmy’s story alive, the episode serves as a reminder that behind every missing person statistic is a life, a family, and a community yearning for closure.
Listeners are invited to join the conversation, to share the podcast, and to keep an eye out for any information that might lead to answers. The Murder Police Podcast continues to honor the lives of crime victims, ensuring their stories are not forgotten. Tune in to this compelling episode to learn more about Timmy’s story and how you can help keep his memory alive. Together, let’s work towards justice for Timmy Sterner.
True Crime, Missing Person, Timmy Sterner, Family Loyalty, Small Town Mystery, Justice For Timmy, Emotional Testimony, Family Bonds, Crime Investigation, Podcast Interview, Community Awareness, Unsolved Case, Foul Play, Family Grief, Crime Victims, Nicholasville, Family Dynamics, Community Support, Seeking Justice, Crime Podcast
Watch this episode on YouTube!
https://youtu.be/NU12enuMUkM
Show Transcript
Please excuse AI generated errors
Never Forget Little Timmy Part 8
Warning: This podcast contains graphic content. Listener discretion is advised
Bree: But I think it was probably the day after that we were like, okay, something’s not right. so that’s when my auntts started contacting like, the police and people he was supposed to be around. and she went and searched, you know, down by the river for him. I just feel like it’s just now starting to like, set in really, that we might not find them.
Wendy Lyons: Morning. The podcast you’re about to listen to may contain graphic descriptions of violent assaults, murder and adult language. Listener discretion is advised.
This is the eighth and final episode of Never Forget Little Timmy podcast
Welcome to the Murder Police podcast. This is the eighth and final episode of Never Forget Little Timmy. As I’ve said since episode one, someone knows something. This family deserves answers and it’s our hope that they get them soon. Thanks for listening. Please share with your friends. Welcome to the Murder Police Podcast. Today we have with us Bree, who is cousin of little Timmy Sterner. So, Brie, thank you for joining us.
Bree: Thank you all for taking the time to interview our family.
Wendy Lyons: How are you doing today?
David Lyons: Huh?
Bree: We’re good. How are you?
Wendy Lyons: We’re great. David, how are you?
David Lyons: excited to learn more about who Timmy is. And again, I got to say, now that we’re on air to you have two very beautiful young ladies for daughters. We got to meet them briefly as, Brie came in and like you said, I imagine they keep your hands full, but it’s probably a good way of keeping your hands.
Bree: Oh, yeah, very busy, but we love it.
David Lyons: Yeah, for sure. But again, again, we love the idea that you all trust us enough to share Timmy’s story, to keep the awareness out and see if we can find out where he is and what happened.
Bree: Yeah, we definitely want to you keep it out there. I feel like it’s kind of calm down, or I wouldn’t say calm down, but pretty quiet.
David Lyons: There we go. And that happens. You know, I think there’s still work.
Wendy Lyons: Being done, but, in the vaccines, there’s work being done, but you know.
David Lyons: We’Ve talked to that, ah, Nicholasville, where we’re all from, is a fantastic little city. And it’s fantastic because it’s little. And I think keeping it alive in this town is what’s going to matter is to keep people talking about it, thinking.
Wendy Lyons: And that’s our hope by doing the podcast is to, well, number one, most importantly, find you all answers and bring justice, to anybody, Timy, and whoever’s done it, they got it coming. So we hope that justice has served to those people who are responsible for this.
You all grew up really close. Do you all go to school together
So let me begin with thanking you Again, for coming. And tell us, your cousins with Timmy, tell us how it was growing up with him.
Bree: So, I’m, Timmy’s, first cousin. I was the first granddaughter born, March 1996, and Timmy came right after me. He was born in November of 96. So we were very close.
Wendy Lyons: You all grew up really close.
Bree: Yeah. if I’m not missaken, we were, you know, the first cousins, before our siblings came along. So we mostly grew up a brother and sister. He was more like a brother to me than a cous. Oh. but he was so much fun, but he was always getting in trouble. we just have a very close knit family. Very, loyal. our mothers always stressed us that, you know, they’re not always going toa be here, so we were just gonna have each other. and we just always were doing everything together. Plan outside, grew up together, holidays. they were always around. so when I had my little brother, it was almost like he was just an addition or three of you all. And then my cousin Lexie came along, and it was the four of us for years and years. So we’re all very close. I don’t know. I just felt like a big sister to him compared to a cousin.
Wendy Lyons: Do you all go to school together as well?
Bree: Growing up, where I had an earlier birthday, so he was always a year behind me. Yeah. but we always would go to our little grannies together, and, like, if we had to do our shots, we usually went together. My grandmother told
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Bree: me the story about where we had to get our school shots. And I just kept telling her, you know, I’m gonna be brave. I’m gonna be a big girl. I’m just gonna do it. So I got out there and done it. And Timmy hid the whole time under the doctor underor.
Wendy Lyons: He wasn’t having no part of it.
Bree: Yeah. And, so she said when I was done, I cried a little bit. And he was like, yep, nope, not doing it. So then he took off running. So then they had to find him. He was hiding somewhere and made it.
Wendy Lyons: Worse when they probably had to hold him down.
Bree: Yeah. Yeah. So that was. I just love hearing the stories like that. just from, like, my grandmother’s perspective. And his mom tells his stories. And she was telling me the other day about how, I guess we rode the same bus together. And there was this kid that was picking on me even though I was the older cousin. Timmy was always tougher, and he, like, pushed me down. And Timmy told his mom and she was like, well, you didn’t beat him up. And he was. She was like, you gotta protect your cousin. So the next day he beat him up and he came home, he was like, mom, I got that guy that was bothering Brie.
Wendy Lyons: He was so proud that he.
Bree: He’t, He’s like, I know what you told me to. I protected her, so good for him. Yeah. We always looked out for each other.
Wendy Lyons: You know, and that’s what we’ve heard by several people that we’ve interviewed, that if Timmy was in your corner, he was there.
Bree: Yes. Yes.
Wendy Lyons: You didn’t have to worry about nobody bothering.
Bree: Now, he is probably the most loyal person that I’ve ever known.
David Lyons: Yeah, that’s what we keep hearing over and over again.
Was there anything when he went to school that attracted him to sports
Was there anything when he went to school, speaking of school, was there anything that he was attracted to over other things in school or how to sports.
Wendy Lyons: Or anything like that?
Bree: Yeah, him and my brother both played football together. They were on the same football team. and then me and my cousin likes to cheered on the same team for them. So like I said, we’done everything together. but he loved his sports, was really good at football, academically. I wouldn’t say that was his favorite, but he definitely loved, like, the gym and working out.
Wendy Lyons: Crazy stuff.
Bree: Yeah, yeah. he was all about, like, the strength. Like, even when he went to prison, he stayed on that. Like, he worked out every day. He said that’s how he really KE kept itself busy in there.
David Lyons: Yeah, he needed something to distract him probably from that much time, especially, so. Good for him on that too. And, as far as school, I don’t think any of us honestly loved itah.
Wendy Lyons: I don’t think there’s a love for it, is there?
Bree: I don’t know, because you have to. I was always the nerdy cousin.
David Lyons: Well, I always tell Wendy she was the one offering to clean the erasers and chalkboard. I have no doubt that she was sharpening pencil for the teacher and that brought an apple every day.
Wendy Lyons: Yeah, I was probably quite nerdy. Like Ralphie on Christmas story, how he’s bringing her the big fruit. I was probably the brown noser. I’m over.
Bree: Yeah.
David Lyons: Ye.
Bree: I’m still like that as a parent. I’m like, here, girls, take your sugar, pepper, donut.
Wendy Lyons: That’s right.
Bree: Donuts, coffee, whatever it takes. Yeah.
David Lyons: so you played football. You cheerleaded on the same team too. What school was that when?
Bree: It was. It was for just Jasye county, youth, Broncos as the Team that we were on, elementary doesn’t. They don’t offer or I don’t. They might now, but when we were in elementary they didn’t offer like football teams. So we always done for Jesmne County’what we played for.
David Lyons: Good deal.
Wendy Lyons: Well, I think times have changed too. From then now there’s leagues for elementary in every school system really. So, yeah, I think that’s probably changed. But I’m sure that was a nice way for you all to hang out and still spend cousin time together, huh?
Bree: Yeah.
Wendy Lyons: Being on the same teams especially, ah.
Bree: Him and my brother are always practicing and they get mad at each other and then try to tackle each other. But you couldn’t tackle either one of them on the field without the other one throwing a fit and trying to protect the other one.
David Lyons: what was a sense of humor? Like.
Bree: Oh, he was so funny. Yeah, like. And. Oh, he just. He would come up with the craziest things just off the top of his head, like. And you would think he was just being so serious, but no, he was just joking. Some people were. Got it. Some people didn’t. just that type of sense of humor.
Wendy Lyons: Yeah.
Bree: He, just always made me laugh.
David Lyons: Yeah.
So we know that Timmy went away for a while
Wendy Lyons: So we know that Timmy went away for a while. Did you get to keep in contact with him during those years?
Bree: I did not. Last, time I seen Timmy was, on March 27th of 2017. It was actually the day I found out I was pregnant with my youngest. him and my oldest were very close. So the first time he got out of jail, he came and lived, with me. and I had my oldest daughter and she was like one, one and a half. They were very close. we call her Kennembbg. And he was always like, that’s my little bug. That’s my dog. So, they were really close. And then when I found out I was having my second daughter, I was so nervous. And, he was there when I took the test and came back positive. And I
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Bree: was stressing out. I, was in college and he was like, brie, I don’t know why you’re worrying. You’re already the best mom that I’ve ever known. You’re gonna do fine. So that was really helpful.
David Lyons: Especially hear something like that when you’re stressed.
Bree: Yeah, it made me feel a lot better.
David Lyons: Especiallyd like a brother like that.
Bree: Yeah. Yeah. Timmy always wanted kids and it didn’t happen, but he, he loved ours like his own. So that meant a lot to me.
David Lyons: Thank you.
Bree: When he said that.
Wendy Lyons: So you all didn’t exchange letters or anything when he went?
Bree: No. U. I was honestly kind of angry at him when he left. I think he started hanging out with some people that weren’t the best influence. And, he ended up stealing from me before he left. So I felt like after. After that, I was just kind of angry and didn’t keep in contact. but my granny would be like, timmy says hi, and he loves you. And he asked about Kennea. every time he’s on the phone.
Bree: And when they went to pick him up, they were like, that’s the first thing you want to do. We see pictures of my oldest daughter because he hadn’t seen her since she was one, so he was. I can’t believe how big she’s gotten. I can’t wait to see her. so we were really excited to see him. My family tell you I’m horrible for holding grudges.
Wendy Lyons: I think sometimes all of us are.
David Lyons: Y up to “ you you know, we don’t think about what happens in the future. It’s always like, now. Yeah, I think all of us do that. I think all of us do that.
Wendy Lyons: Well. And I think also maybe given that you all were so close, and then if he had stolen from you, there’s probably that sense of betrayal, like, why me? I’m the one you were so close to.
Bree: And he was living with me at the time, and I felt like I was, you know, kind of taking care of him and helping him get back on his feet. So I think he just kind of fell back in with the wrong crowd. And it did. It felt like betrayal.
Wendy Lyons: Like, yah.
Bree: Out of everyone. I’m, helping you, and.
Wendy Lyons: And I’m the one that you still from.
Bree: Yeah.
David Lyons: Yeah. In some disappointment because I’m hearing your voice a lot. That, you know, that we all want the best for the people we were closest to. And when people start running down a road and you can’t pull them off of it, that’s disappoint. That hurts, you know, because you. You kind of. Kind of see the problems, but they don’t.
Bree: Yeah.
David Lyons: And, with. I don’t know. But maybe. Maybe that even was part of why he had to go away for. For as long as he did. Was that group of people, perhaps me, or the lifestyle they were living and that he was taking part.
Bree: So I was going through our messages this morning, and, I read a message where he was like, you know, I’m so proud of you, and I’m so glad that you didn’t turn out like a lot of us in this family. And you just keep doing your best because. And I love you. And he just said, I’m proud of you. So he was always on me about, like, is Bruce still in school? What is she doing? Like, he always asked about me, but we never got a chance to talk. I think I talked to him on the phone once when I was at my grandmother’s, and he called her when I was down there, and we talked for a little bit. but we were definitely excited to see him, so. But we didn’t get to see him at all. Yeah.
Wendy Lyons: So you all found out he was getting out, and I guess you’re probably thinking maybe we’ll reconnect and kind of pick up and catch up over the last seven years. He’s bound to be making better choices now.
Bree: Ye.
Wendy Lyons: Introduce him to your second daughter.
Bree: Yeah. because he hadn’t got to meet her yet. And I think we were planning, like, a cookout at Granny’s, and.
It’s looking more and more like foul play in Timmy’s disappearance
But nothing was set in stone yet. I’m trying to remember when I found out. I think I had just gotten off work, and they were like, you know, we haven’t heard from Timmy. Has he talked to you? And I was like, no. I sent him a message on Facebook because he had added me on Facebook, and I sent him a message, and he hadn’t responded. but I think it was probably the day after that. We were like, okay, this is. Something’s not right. so that’s when my aunt started contacting, like, the police and people he was supposed to be around. And she went and search, you know, down by the river for him. I just feel like it’s just now starting to, like, set in, really, that we might not find them.
David Lyons: Yeah. I guess you got to a point where, maybe Hope disipated a little bit.
Bree: Yeah. I didn’t have a whole lot to say at first. Cause I was like, oh, you know, he just got out. Maybe he’s just outl living
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Bree: life or. But it’s not as close as Timmy is with his family. And as loyal as he is, it’s not like him not to. Especially with his mom, not to reach out to her at least once a day. so we knew something wasn’t right when we hadn’t heard from.
David Lyons: That’s what we’re gathering to. Is it. It doesn’t sound like he would just, rip and run and take off.
Bree: Yeah.
David Lyons: And, just. It comes down to how close your Family is. Yeah, a lot of people say that, but a lot of people’s families aren’t as close as yours are either.
Bree: Yeah.
David Lyons: And, you know, they have. The state police would look at that as a possibility, but it doesn’t sound like they’re even. From what I’ve heard from other family members, that they’re even entertaining that. Yeah. it’s looking more and more like foul play of some kind. And, you know, we have an address. We have a group of people that we’d call it Last Known Location, Last Known association in. They’re together. And, that’s always where you start, is that. I think that’s where the frustration is for anybody that gets around. This is, answers. Yeah. They. They’re somewhere. Ah. Because there’s no logic to it other than that.
Bree: Right.
David Lyons: That somebody, quote, unquote, disappears from a specific place in a small time period. Other people are there. That’s. That’s more than suspicious. Yeah. I’m just sorry that, you know, we meet people all the time and I’ve met people all the time that they, they. They get us to a certain point where hope dissipates or. Or they, they get a feeling that maybe this isn’t a great outcome. And. And I think that’s what we’re hearing from the family.
Bree: Yeah. Yeah. I think we all had hope for a long time that, maybe, you know, he just got out, got around the wrong people again and maybe done something he wasn’t proud of. So maybe he was just know, hiding out for a little bit or. But like you said, now something. We know something’s definitely happened and there’s people that know what happened. But with it being a small town and everyone knows everyone, then I mean, like, there’s rumors going around, but nothing that we can prove.
David Lyons: And again, we don’t do. I’proably explain. We don’t do the rumors on this show because they can hurt an investigation. they can misidentify people because the rumors are literally all over the place and to the point where I’m more and more convinced from just the stuff I’ve heard. I know the listeners are probably like, we should hear it too, but we just don’t do that here. But some of it, I think, is probably clearly manufactured. And we’ve spoke to some people like, why would you make stuff like that up? But then again, people do that to get attention, you know, and. But what it does is it drives you all nuts when that stuff. Because we’ve interviewed more than one person in a family where people will say those things. And it’s like if it’s not true, why would you even repeat it? And if it is true, why aren’t you talking to the state police? Yeah, I mean that’s. That’s the bitter part about this whole thing.
Bree: So I think my aunt, everything that she’s heard, she has tried to have it investigated. but like you said, like one day it’s something and the next day it’s something different. And I think until we get answers or fine Timm me. It’s. It’s driving my aunt and my grandmother crazy.
David Lyons: I. I can’t imagine like she’s’s just.
Bree: I mean it’s driving us all crazy. But as a mother, I can only imagine not having the answers. And Demi was her oldest.
David Lyons: That’S. You said exactly what I think when I get around these and I used to investigate these is that I was around it. But m. There’s a part of my heart that can’t go there with
Family of missing Nicholasville boy wants answers about possible foul play
My child or my stepson. There’s a part of me that I don’t want to. That’s why I respect so many people that are surviving this. That are somehow making next breath work. Which makes it more important why people need to come forward and stop that pain. I mean because it’s daily talking to his dad with Tim, Big Tim. It’s daily, obviously.
Wendy Lyons: Yeah. And I think that’s our hope with this Brie is for year old’s family to find some kind of answers. I mean I know David, you don’t investigate anymore. But we’re hoping that this gets out there to enough people. And like we’ve said as small as Nicholasville is that it’ll get in somebody’s ear and make them feel like I know what happened. And I gotta tell Because I can’t imagine knowing something and that eating me up that someone’s done something. And I’m holding that a secret. So it takes is piss in one person off and he’ll end up telling on you eventually anyway. But I think just. You know, I do agree and this is only my opinion that there is some kind of foul play. And I mean, I don’t know, maybe it could have been an accident. But even if it was an accident that happened there, maybe an accidental overdose, where is he? But what have you done with him?
Bree: And that’s something else.
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Bree: You know, we were considering With Timy being Recovering addict and just getting out of jail and maybe being around people that he should have been. And maybe he done something, tried something.
Wendy Lyons: And it was too much or the wrong stuff.
Bree: Right. Right. then call someone or taking a hospital. I think something maybe. Well, I think something like that happened and people got scared, which again makes.
David Lyons: It ridiculous, on their part because, there’s a limited opportunity to come forward with information before you’re truly part of it. And you can’t separate your yourself from it. If so if somebody knew that that was the case.
Wendy Lyons: Yeah. Got come that night. It’s notnna look as bad as five months later. You’re saying, well, here’s really what exactly.
David Lyons: Right. You’re not a hero, but at the same time you’re doing the right thing.
Bree: Right.
David Lyons: And we can make this right. People can make that right.
Bree: I feel like it as his family, you know, we know Timmy wasn’t his saint. We know he had his issues, but we still loved him. And if something like that were to happen, I don’t think, you know, you can’t blame anyone else. Right. He was grown. He made his own decisions. But we just wanna know.
Wendy Lyons: Yeah, just tell. that’s our hope, is that you all get answers, whether they’re one way or the other. you know, and I know from us talking to his grandmother and his dad, we’ve yet at this point haven’t talked to his mother. But they just want answers so they can have closure to it if that’s the case.
Bree: Yeah. and I know for Big Timmy, Lil, Timmy was his only child, so.
David Lyons: Right.
Bree: my aunt, she’s got other children, but they, she just lost, a daughter in 2020. so now Timmy.
Wendy Lyons: Yeah.
Bree: So I can.
David Lyons: Well, the other thing too is, is that, ah, people who listen and watch are gonna learn who Timmy is. I mean, I mean, down to the detail. And that’s the other thing we love doing is that, like you said, things get quiet, as time goes on. we, even as human beings, we become statistics. We’re a count on a missing person count every year. You know, I’m saying, and I know that sounds rough, but, And people have opinions. But I think it’s important for the people out there listening to know who Timmy is and they’re putting together like we’re putting together. They came from a really tight bonded family that he was loyal. He had faults, we all have faults, but he was capable of love. it sounds like he had done a lot of stuff and a lot of soul searching in this, this stint that he’d come out with and, and, you know, if somebody robbed him of that, they need to pay for that.
Bree: I agree.
David Lyons: If they’if. they’ve held with information back to help the family heal, they proudht to pay for that too. I mean, it’s a, Well, if you could. If you could ask people in the community for help or ask them to take action, what would that sound like? What would you do?
Bree: Just keep searching, you know, keep it there in your mind. you might hear something, might see something. and even though it might not seem big or, you know, significant, it could be a turning point. just remember to be kind and treat others how you want to be treated. And I guess just keep looking. I don’t want it to, you know, just become stagnant. like, I know it was getting some attention, but I feel like as time goes on, people tend to forget about the person. And like you said, it becomes more like a statistic. but Timmy was a part of our family, and we just want answers and we just ask everyone to just try not to forget. Don’t let me become a number.
David Lyons: Let’s keep his name aliveug and who he is and, and push to get that and push to get those answers.
Wendy Lyons: Well, we sure hope that somebody comes forward, whether it’s on their own accord or through listening to this and maybe having some guilt for it or. you know, our hearts certainly go out to you all and we’ve, like David said, we’ve learned a lot about who Timmy is through doing this and, just honestly how much pain year old’s family is going through. So we are hopeful that we can help you all find answers.
Wendy’s put together a special tribute to Timmy
David Lyons: Yeah.
Bree: Ah, this is amazing. I, mean, thank you all for doing this.
Wendy Lyons: Well, thank you for coming to do it. I know it’s not easy to talk about and it’s, you know, it’s one of those things where you.
Bree: It’s different watching it on the tv.
Wendy Lyons: It is. It’s very different because you always think.
Bree: Like, wow, I feel for that family like I couldn’t imagine. But then when you’re you something, you.
Wendy Lyons: Feeter in those shoes, it’s different. Yes.
David Lyons: And I think that’s what me and Wendy’s put
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David Lyons: together. You are wonderful people going through the worst nightmare that. That people could go through, and you don’t have that coming. And Timmy didn’t have that coming for sure. So, hopefully the awareness helps. And again, letting people know who Timmy is.
Wendy Lyons: Well, thank you again so much, br for coming and sharing your perspective of who you’re in Timmy’s relationship. And, you know what? You’re hoping that someone like you said will come forward and just keep him his memory alive.
Bree: Yeah.
Wendy Lyons: So thank you so very much.
Bree: Thank you guys.
The Murder Police Podcast was created to honor the lives of crime victims
David Lyons: Thank you. The Murder Police Podcast is hosted by Wendy and David Lyons and was created to honor the lives of crime victims so their names are never forgotten. It is produced, recorded and edited by David Lyons. The Murder Police Podcast can be found on your favorite Apple or Android podcast platform as well as@murderpoliceodcast.com where you will find show notes, transcripts, information about our present_ter and a link to the official Murder Police Podcast Merch store where you can purchase a huge variety of Murder Police Podcast swag. We are also on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube which is closed caption for those that are hearing impaired. Just search for the Murder Police Podcast and you will find us. If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe for more and give us five stars in a written review on Apple Podcast or wherever you download your podcast. Make sure you set your player to automatically download new episodes so you get the new ones as soon as they drop. And please tell your friends, lock it down Judy.
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