Jerry Strickland absolutely got the sentence he deserved but Missy should be doing time as well yet they let her off easy because she testified against him. She was a willing participant in that senseless murder. It wasn't like she went along with it because she was afraid of him. If she was, why didn't she call the police when she had an opportunity to do so? While they were in hiding, she likely had other opportunities but she didn't do it and she likely never would have if they hadn't been caught.

She was underage at the time of the murder, IIRC. That coupled with her testimony against Jerry probably contributed to the lighter sentence.

Having lived in Pontiac, MI this might be my favorite segment and I think I've tracked down the major locations in the case:
Pretty sure this was the old gas station where they worked: https://goo.gl/maps/WBKASce9eCjd6bUM7
This where the murder happened (seems like some of those houses would have been around at the time, so it was hardly a desolate area): https://goo.gl/maps/xAZ75MddhXDpjAFu8
And this is where they bought their truck before skipping town (if you pan around you can see the old railroad coaling tower across the street, which is visible out the window in the segment): https://goo.gl/maps/q8U4oMff9uTWDzLJ8

EDIT: I take it back about the gas station location, I can't make heads or tails of where that was.

This where the murder happened (seems like some of those houses would have been around at the time, so it was hardly a desolate area):

While not completely desolate, it's still lots of countryside, lots of trees and the few homes that are around are very spread apart. You're not likely to make much of a scene.

Pontiac is about 40 miles north of where I grew up. But I was too little when this whole ordeal went down to have any personal memories of it being in the local news.

I do wonder how Missy is doing today. Her and Jerry's baby, Jamie, is now 35 years old. I often wonder how she adapted back into her family after all the drama. Especially when she herself mentioned that her brother and grandmother were the only family members she actually liked.

That's not her. She's still in the Maryland area and is going by her married name now.

That's not her. She's still in the Maryland area and is going by her married name now.

Which nobody has divulged in the 20+ years this forum has been around 🤔

While not completely desolate, it's still lots of countryside, lots of trees and the few homes that are around are very spread apart. You're not likely to make much of a scene.

Pontiac is about 40 miles north of where I grew up. But I was too little when this whole ordeal went down to have any personal memories of it being in the local news.

I do wonder how Missy is doing today. Her and Jerry's baby, Jamie, is now 35 years old. I often wonder how she adapted back into her family after all the drama. Especially when she herself mentioned that her brother and grandmother were the only family members she actually liked.
It looks like Missy did have a fairly normal life.
Her mom passed away in 1993, her dad in 2015.
Missy is mentioned in their geological records under the name she goes by.