---
title: ep.181 - Daisy Zick | Blood & Barrels Podcast
description: The unsolved murder of Daisy Zick in 1963 remains one of Michigan's most baffling cold cases. Discover the complex web of suspects and leads.
image: https://bloodandbarrels.com/hubfs/featured-daisy_zick.jpg
---
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Episode 181
August 6, 2024
[Murder](https://bloodandbarrels.com/episodes/tag/murder), [Unsolved](https://bloodandbarrels.com/episodes/tag/unsolved)
# Daisy Zick
The murder of Daisy Zick in 1963 remains one of Michigan’s most perplexing cold cases. Daisy, a 42-year-old woman working the afternoon shift at the Kellogg’s plant, was brutally killed in her home on a cold January morning. Her murder sparked a massive investigation, but despite numerous leads and suspects, the case remains unsolved to this day.
**A Well-Planned Crime?** Daisy’s afternoon shift meant she was home during the day, a fact likely known by her killer. When her body was discovered, it became clear that this was not a random act of violence. Daisy was attacked in her home, and the brutality of the crime led police to believe that the killer was someone familiar with her routine.
**The Immediate Suspect** Floyd Zick, Daisy’s husband, was immediately questioned and agreed to a polygraph test, which he passed. Floyd, who had been working at the time of the murder, couldn’t think of anyone who would want to harm his wife. He did, however, mention Daisy’s first marriage to Neville King, which had ended due to abuse. Despite this history, Neville was not considered a serious suspect.
**Daisy’s Double Life** As investigators delved deeper into Daisy’s life, they uncovered a more complex picture. Daisy, a grandmother by her 40s, had been involved in several affairs. Her most recent lover, Mr. Mercer, a coworker at Kellogg’s, was heavily investigated but was eventually ruled out as a suspect due to his alibi and a passed polygraph test.
**The Elusive Killer** Witnesses reported seeing a man in a navy peacoat near the scene of the crime, but no one could definitively identify him. Blood smears on Daisy’s car and yellow fibers found at the scene provided some physical evidence, but nothing conclusive. The investigation spread to her coworkers and even former employees at Kellogg’s, leading to a few broken marriages but no arrests.
**A Series of Dead Ends** Over the years, various leads emerged. A man named Garrett Vandermere provided the first good description of a potential suspect, but it led nowhere. A tip in 1965 pointed to a man named Albert Cooley, but before a polygraph could be administered, Cooley committed suicide, raising suspicions that he might have been involved. However, his death brought no closure to the case.
Another suspect, Norman C. Baker, was implicated by jailhouse informants who claimed Baker had confessed to the murder while drunk. However, inconsistencies in the story and a failed attempt to link his fingerprints to the crime scene led investigators to dismiss him as a suspect.
**The Postman and the Phone Calls** The most intriguing suspect was Daisy’s mailman, William Daly. His behavior on the day of the murder, combined with witness statements and his own contradictions, made him a person of interest. An anonymous tip even placed him behind the wheel of Daisy’s car on the morning of the murder. Yet, despite this, no concrete evidence ever tied him to the crime.
Strangely, both Daisy and her neighbor received prank phone calls for years, even after her death. These calls hinted at a woman being involved in the murder, and in 1991, a police officer speculated that the killer might have been a woman, citing the phone calls and the nature of Daisy’s injuries.
**A Case That Won’t Rest** In 2000, police made a final attempt to get a confession from Daly, who was on his deathbed. He refused to take a polygraph test, and though he recovered, he died in 2011 without ever confessing. The case of Daisy Zick remains open, a chilling reminder of a crime that, despite extensive investigation, has never been solved.
Daisy’s house still stands in Battle Creek, Michigan, a silent witness to a mystery that has baffled investigators for over half a century. As tips continue to trickle in, there’s always hope that one day, the truth about who killed Daisy Zick will finally come to light.
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