On a quiet Sunday in 2002, 24-year-old Mandi Alexander arrived to open the Dolly Madison Bakery in Great Bend, Kansas. It was a simple routine—unlock the doors, start the coffee, prep for the day. But later that day., 79 year-old Mary Drake walked in, a customer, just there to buy a treat before heading home.
They never left the bakery.
That evening, a delivery driver would spot something that didn’t feel right: the bakery was locked—but Mary’s purse was sitting on the counter. Inside, police would uncover a crime scene that stunned the small town. Both women had been brutally murdered.
But more than two decades later, there’s still no suspect. No motive. No arrest. Just silence—and a case frozen in time.
What happened inside that bakery has never been uncovered.
🎙️ Listen to The Final Trace: The Dolly Madison Bakery — Streaming now on all Platforms
📰 News & Official Sources
1. Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) Press Releases & Public Statements
• KBI DNA update & reward increase (November 2022)
• Reward: $17,000
2. KAKE News
• “KBI releases new information in 2002 Great Bend double homicide”
• Includes statements from Mandi’s sister, reward info, and DNA details
3. Hutchinson News / Great Bend Tribune
• Early reporting on the murders and witness descriptions (2002–2003)
• Details of the composite sketch and investigation timelines
4. KWCH 12 News
• “Reward offered for information in Great Bend double murder” (2022)
• Interview excerpts with friends and family
5. The Wichita Eagle
• Archival coverage from the early 2000s related to the case, including investigative delays and family pleas
6. Fox Kansas / KSNT
• “20 Years Later: The murders of Mandi Alexander and Mary Drake” (2022)
• Features quotes from Desiree Werth and KBI officials
