Meter Reader Finds a Live Mic Bolted to a Gas Meter: The Monica Casey Case

Meter Reader Finds a Live Mic Bolted to a Gas Meter: The Monica Casey Case

A live, studio-grade microphone was found bolted to the gas meter at 44 Calloway Street, broadcasting a tenant’s backyard sounds to anyone tuned to 1190 AM for six days-an orange LED on a duct-taped preamp logged activation at 11:14 PM the night it went live. Who wired a rebroadcast relay into a private home and why was the tenant completely unaware?

In this episode, we tell how a meter reader’s morning detour led investigators into a basement FM-to-AM relay, a copper antenna routed through wall cavities, and a connection between a small AM station and the rental next door. What did the technical tracebacks and timestamps reveal about who had access and motive?

Person: Monica Casey Person: Doug Hartwell Location: 44 Calloway Street Event: Live broadcast on 1190 AM for six days Date: March 2011

- At 7:19 AM on a Tuesday in March 2011 Raymond Smith smelled warm solder and found a professional broadcast microphone bolted to the gas meter. - The preamp box on the exterior wall had an orange LED that logged activation at 11:14 PM, six days before discovery. - The live relay broadcast ambient sounds (wind, highway traffic, a barking dog, the crunch of running shoes) within roughly a two-mile radius on 1190 AM. - Doug Hartwell, age 61, owned WDLR and had purchased 44 Calloway Street in 2007 as a rental; Monica Casey was his tenant since August 2009. - Chief engineer Steve Pauley identified the transmitting frequency in four minutes after arriving and had previously reported a coverage dead spot southeast of the station in 2010.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].