Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast

Friday Mystery: Teresita Basa and the Voice From the Grave Oct 16, 2026 2174 We have a shorter spooky season story for your Friday. In 1977, firefighters found Teresita Basa murdered in her Chicago apartment, but months passed without an arrest. Then a doctor told police that his wife had entered a trance and spoken in a voice that identified itself as Teresita. Detectives could not verify that explanation, but they could investigate what the voice claimed to know. The le

The Greenbrier Ghost: The Murder of Zona Heaster Shue Oct 15, 2026 3256 This week, we tell the 1897 story of Elva Zona Heaster Shue, known as Zona, whose sudden death in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, was initially treated as natural causes. After Zona’s mother said her daughter appeared to her and described what happened, an exhumation revealed a broken neck, and Zona’s husband went to trial for her murder. Since so many of you enjoyed Black Hope Cemetery, we are

[Florida Files] The Murder of Joleen Cummings and the Coworker With 18 Aliases Oct 13, 2026 2897 On May 12, 2018, Joleen Cummings finished a shift at the Tangles Hair Salon in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The 34 year old mother of three was supposed to pick up her children the next day for Mother’s Day and her birthday, but she never arrived. When Joleen’s SUV was found abandoned near a Home Depot, surveillance footage pointed investigators toward a new coworker. But the woman Joleen knew as J

Sandra Birchmore: The Officer She Trusted Is Accused of Killing Her Oct 8, 2026 3530 When Sandra Birchmore was 12, she joined a Stoughton, Massachusetts police youth program because she hoped to become an officer herself. What began as trust in the adults around her became the basis for years of alleged exploitation by men connected to the program. In 2021, Sandra was found dead in her Canton apartment while pregnant with her first child. Her death was initially ruled a suicide.

Black Hope Cemetery: Graves Beneath Newport Oct 6, 2026 4247 In 1983, Sam and Judith Haney were preparing to install a swimming pool behind their home in the Newport subdivision of Crosby, Texas, when they uncovered two human graves. The discovery led them to the Black Hope Addition Graveyard, a largely forgotten African American cemetery whose boundaries and burial records had faded from public view. Court records later confirmed that Purcell Company, Inc.

Ashley Flynn: The Trial and Verdict of Caleb Flynn Oct 1, 2026 4106 This is a new follow up to last week’s episode on Ashley Flynn’s death. We cover the trial of her husband, Caleb Flynn. Prosecutors argued that Caleb staged a home invasion after killing Ashley, while the defense maintained the state had built a circumstantial case around an affair, with no recovered murder weapon, eyewitness, or gunshot residue evidence. Over eight days of proceedings, the jury

Patricia Bennett Murder: Her Phone Kept Texting After She Disappeared Sep 29, 2026 3138 In late 2019, 69 year old Patricia Bennett suddenly stopped answering calls from her family. Messages continued coming from her phone, but her grandson John knew something was wrong. The wording did not sound like Patricia, and no matter how often he asked, he could not hear her voice. As police checked the shifting stories told by Patricia’s daughter, Carol Rey, the lies began to unravel. Patric

From the Archive: Bison Dele, the NBA Star Who Vanished at Sea Sep 25, 2026 2856 From the archive, we are revisiting the disappearance of former NBA player Bison Dele.In July 2002, Bison Dele, his girlfriend Serena Karlan, and boat captain Bertrand Saldo vanished while sailing through the South Pacific. Bison’s older brother, Miles Dabord, was the only person to return from the trip. When he arrived in Tahiti, Bison’s catamaran had been repainted and renamed. As investigators

Vickie Beckham: The Murder Staged as a Car Accident Sep 24, 2026 3309 In June 1994, Vickie Beckham dropped her three children off for a visit with their father and was supposed to go to work. Hours later, she was found dead behind the wheel of her car in a ditch along a rural South Carolina road. Her vehicle had barely any damage, but Vickie had catastrophic injuries that could not be explained by a crash. Investigators quickly realized someone had tried to stage V

Ashley Flynn: The Murder Trial of Caleb Flynn Sep 22, 2026 3447 In February 2026, Ashley Flynn was fatally shot inside her Tipp City, Ohio, home while her two young daughters slept nearby. Her husband, former worship pastor Caleb Flynn, called 911 and said an intruder had broken in, taken a gun from his truck, and shot Ashley. Investigators soon questioned whether the scene matched that account. Caleb was later charged with aggravated murder, murder, feloniou

[Florida Files] Tomasz Kosowski: The Surgeon Accused of Killing Attorney Steven Cozzi Sep 17, 2026 2945 Former plastic surgeon Tomasz Kosowski is currently on trial in Florida for the 2023 disappearance and alleged murder of attorney Steven Cozzi. Steven represented defendants in a civil lawsuit Tomasz had filed, and prosecutors allege Tomasz became increasingly angry with the case before planning the attack. Steven vanished from the Largo law office where he worked, leaving his wallet, keys, and p

Aliza Sherman: Her Own Attorney Is Accused of Her Murder Sep 15, 2026 4172 On March 24, 2013, Aliza Sherman went to downtown Cleveland to meet with Gregory Moore, the attorney handling her contentious divorce. She arrived early, waited outside his locked office building, and exchanged messages with him. Minutes later, Aliza was attacked and fatally stabbed. For more than a decade, her murder remained unsolved. In 2025, a grand jury indicted Moore, Aliza's former divorce

Austin Kanuch: The Mountain Bike Clue in a Targeted Murder Sep 10, 2026 2500 On September 21, 2023, Austin Kanuch and his wife closed on a new home where they planned to raise their family. Before they could move, someone entered their rental home in the early morning hours, attacked Austin in his bedroom, and left his wife Mary and their young son physically unharmed. Investigators believe Austin was targeted. Nothing was stolen, no one else in the house was injured, and

Judge Kevin Mullins: The Silent Video and the Sheriff Who Shot Him Sep 8, 2026 3097 On September 19, 2024, Letcher County District Judge Kevin Mullins and Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines ate lunch together in Whitesburg, Kentucky, then walked back to the courthouse for a private conversation in the judge's chambers. Nearly 10 minutes later, surveillance video showed Stines pull out his gun and shoot Mullins. The video has no audio, leaving the central question unanswered: what was

The Chicago Strangler Cases: The Unforgotten 51 Sep 3, 2026 3532 Between 2001 and 2017, at least 75 women were strangled or smothered in Chicago. Many were found in alleys, vacant buildings, garbage cans, and other places where it was easy for their deaths to become separate case files instead of a citywide emergency. The women were daughters, mothers, artists, business owners, caregivers, and friends. Their names included Angela Ford, Gwendolyn Williams, Nancy

The Murder of Lori Ann Slesinski: A Conviction Without a Body Sep 1, 2026 3811 In June 2006, 24 year old Lori Ann Slesinski left an Auburn Walmart to pick up drink mixes before a night at her best friend’s house. She never arrived. Days later, her Yorkshire Terrier, Peanut, was found safe in her mobile home, but Lori was gone. Her kitchen rugs and telephone cord were missing, the answering machine messages had disappeared, and her Mazda was later found burned on a secluded A

Emma Compton: The Trial Is Underway Aug 28, 2026 2203 Today, we’re replaying our 2024 episode about Emma Compton Layne, a woman remembered by the people who loved her for her generous heart, her contagious joy, and the way she always showed up for her family. Emma disappeared in June 2017 after working at her store in Halifax County, Virginia. Months later, her remains were found, leaving her loved ones with years of grief and unanswered questions.

The Murder of Peggy Carr: Poisoned Coca-Cola and the Neighbor Next Door Aug 27, 2026 3963 In the fall of 1988, Peggy Carr, her son Duane Dubberly, and her stepson Travis Carr became violently ill inside their rural Florida home. The symptoms were strange and terrifying: severe nerve pain, numbness, weakness, trouble walking, and eventually, hair loss. Doctors discovered they had been exposed to thallium, a rare and deadly heavy metal. The source was even more disturbing. Someone had c

The Murder of Alex Pennig: Behind the Locked Bathroom Door Aug 25, 2026 3350 When 32-year-old nurse Alex Pennig was found dead inside the bathroom of her St. Paul apartment, the man who called 911, Matthew Ecker, insisted she had taken her own life behind a locked door. Alex had struggled with depression and addiction in the past, and at first, there were details that seemed to support his story. But the scene inside the bathroom told a much more complicated story. Inve

The Disappearance of Andrew Gosden: The One-Way Ticket to London Aug 20, 2026 3770 On September 14, 2007, 14-year-old Andrew Gosden left his home in Doncaster dressed for school. After his family left for the day, he returned home, changed out of his uniform, withdrew £200 from his bank account, and bought a one-way ticket to London. Andrew arrived at King’s Cross Station at 11:20 that morning. CCTV captured him walking out of the station alone five minutes later. That is the l

The Murder of Harold Allen: The Root Beer Float Poisoning Aug 18, 2026 3170 For months, Harold Allen suffered from worsening illnesses that doctors could not fully explain. When he died in Freetown, Indiana, just days before Christmas 2022, his death was attributed to serious cardiac problems. His family believed they had lost him to a sudden decline in his health. Nine months later, a burglary at the home of Harold’s widow, Marsha Allen, gave investigators a reason to l

Holly Bartlett's Death: The Unanswered Hours Beneath Halifax's MacKay Bridge Aug 13, 2026 3452 In March 2010, Holly Bartlett, a 31 year old blind public servant and graduate student, left a party in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and took a cab toward her condo. Seven hours later, ironworkers found her critically injured inside a fenced area beneath the MacKay Bridge, less than 1,000 feet from her home. Police concluded Holly became disoriented after leaving the cab, entered the restricted area, cl

The Sherry Murders: The "Dixie Mafia", a Corrupt Gulf Coast, and the Judge Who Couldn't Be Bought Aug 11, 2026 3454 In September 1987, Vincent Sherry and his wife Margaret were found shot to death inside their Biloxi, Mississippi home. Vincent was a former Air Force colonel, a law professor, and a sitting circuit court judge. Margaret was a prominent local attorney and politician. Neither had any known enemies. The investigation would take years and lead directly into the heart of the Dixie Mafia, a loose netwo

D.B. Cooper and the 7 Men Who Tried to Copy Him Aug 6, 2026 3767 On November 24, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper boarded a flight in Portland, handed a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb, and walked away with $200,000 in ransom after jumping out of the plane somewhere over the Pacific Northwest. He was never identified. His body was never found. And to this day, most of the money has never turned up.To the public, it looked like he got away wit

The Murder of Saria Hildabrand: What Zarius Hildabrand Did After the Gunshot Aug 4, 2026 3272 On the night of his 21st birthday, U.S. Army soldier Zarius Hildabrand came home drunk from the bars in Anchorage, Alaska. His wife Saria, also a soldier and also 21, spent the next hour going through his phone and finding proof he had been cheating. A neighbor heard a single gunshot at 2:46 AM.By the next morning, Zarius was texting her coworkers from her phone, telling her friends she had walk

[Re-Release + Update] Lindsay Shiver: The "Kill Him" Text and the Case That May Never Go to Trial Jul 30, 2026 2870 In the summer of 2023, police in the Bahamas were investigating a routine bar burglary when they stumbled onto something shocking . And that was WhatsApp messages on a suspect's phone containing a photo of Robert Shiver, a former Auburn football player and Georgia businessman, alongside a text that read: "Kill him." The messages were allegedly sent by his wife, Lindsay Shiver, a former beauty que

Leon Jacob and Valerie McDaniel: The Murder for Hire Plot Jul 28, 2026 3740 When successful Houston veterinarian Valerie McDaniel began dating Leon Jacob, they bonded over the problems they believed their former partners were causing them. Leon presented himself as a brilliant surgeon, but the reality was a trail of failed residencies, massive debt, and a history of stalking and abuse. Within weeks of their relationship starting, those private grievances escalated into a

The Framing of Michelle Hadley: The Full Story Behind Netflix's A Toxic Love Story Jul 23, 2026 4354 After the release of Netflix's A Toxic Love Story, we knew it was time to bring this one back. We originally covered the case of Michelle Hadley in 2019, but the story has changed dramatically since then, and this week we are telling the whole thing from start to finish. In 2016, Michelle Hadley was accused of terrorizing her ex-fiance's pregnant wife and sending strangers to her home to carry ou

The Murder of Jade Benning: A Fatal Date Night in Nashville Jul 21, 2026 3132 When twenty-four-year-old expecting mother Jade Benning suddenly collapsed during a quiet date night at her Nashville apartment, it was initially reported as a severe allergic reaction. But when paramedics arrived, the scene didn't match the story being told by her boyfriend, former NFL scout Blaise Taylor. Jade was rushed to the hospital where she was placed on life support, but both she and her

The Snowden House Murders: A Legacy of Forgiveness and Fatal Betrayal Jul 16, 2026 2797 In 1996, the quiet community of Horseshoe Lake, Arkansas was shattered by the brutal double murder of seventy-five-year-old Sally Snowden McKay and her fifty-two-year-old nephew, Joseph Lee Baker. The historic Snowden House, a landmark family estate that had belonged to Sally's family for generations, was set on fire to cover up the crime. Investigators eventually arrested fifteen-year-old Travis

Poisoned for a Fortune That Never Existed: The Murder of Steven Riley Jr. Jul 14, 2026 3608 In the fall of 2023, Steven Edward Riley Jr. was living in Minot, North Dakota with his longtime partner, Ina Kenoyer, when he received a letter claiming he was the sole heir to a $30 million estate left behind by a relative he had never met. For months, Steven communicated with a man named Richard Eglin, who identified himself as the estate's attorney, as the two worked toward a meeting that woul

Lake Lanier | A Listener Favorite: The Curse Beneath Georgia's Deadliest Lake Jul 10, 2026 2240 This episode has been one of your most requested since we first released it, so we are bringing it back. Lake Lanier, Georgia's largest lake, is one of the deadliest bodies of water in America, with over 700 deaths since its creation in 1956. But the lake's dark history goes deeper than tragic accidents. Built by flooding entire communities, including a predominantly Black town that was never pro

[Florida Files] The Murder of Shirley and Virgil Best: A Family's Fatal Devotion Jul 9, 2026 3453 Shirley and Virgil Best were beloved, hardworking members of their Riverview, Florida, community. For forty-five years, they built a life centered around their faith, their family, and their successful tropical fish farm, Quality Fins. They were finally looking forward to a well-earned retirement traveling the world together in their RV. But beneath the surface, the couple spent decades dealing w

The Lies of Joran van der Sloot: The Full Timeline of Natalee Holloway and Stephany Flores Ramirez Jul 7, 2026 4008 For nearly two decades, one man told story after story about what happened to Natalee Holloway. He blamed other people, invented elaborate coverups, took money from her family in exchange for false information, and even confessed more than once, only to take it all back. Many of us followed this case in real time as it dominated the news headlines for years. From Natalee's disappearance in Aruba

Mitrice Richardson: The Night the Police Let Her Walk Away Jul 2, 2026 3092 On the night of September 16, 2009, 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson was arrested at an upscale Malibu restaurant after behaving in ways that concerned both the staff and the responding deputies. She passed a field sobriety test. She was cooperative and calm throughout booking. And just after midnight, the Lost Hills Sheriff's Station opened its doors and let her walk out alone, without her car, int

Stolen Youth: Inside the Sarah Lawrence Cult and the Trial of Larry Ray Jun 30, 2026 4157 In March 2010, a middle-aged ex-convict named Lawrence Ray was released from prison after serving six months for child custody interference. With nowhere else to go, he moved into his daughter Talia's co-ed dormitory at Sarah Lawrence College, a small and prestigious liberal arts school just outside New York City. Talia had spent months telling her roommates that her father was a brilliant man who

The Farmhouse Conspiracy: The Murder of Ryan Cooper Jun 25, 2026 2750 *We realized after recording that we mispronounced the name of Traer, Iowa throughout this episode. We are sorry to anyone from Traer who had to listen to that!* On the morning of June 18, 2021, a frantic 911 call led deputies to a quiet farmhouse in Traer, Iowa. Inside, they found 42-year-old Ryan Cooper, a beloved local farmer, slumped in his recliner. He had been shot twice in the face. His w

The Murder of Corinna Mullen: A Corrupt Cop, a Cover-Up, and 20 Years Without Justice Jun 23, 2026 4113 In October 1987, 20-year-old Corinna Mullen was found brutally murdered in the trunk of her own car behind a city garage in Central City, Kentucky. Her injuries were catastrophic. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted, and left to die. Her boyfriend, Jimmy Springer, was arrested, tried, and ultimately acquitted when the jury found the evidence too thin to convict. The investigation was riddled w

The Lip King: Jordan Parke and the Death of Alice Webb Jun 18, 2026 2976 Jordan James Parke spent years chasing the next procedure, spending over £130,000 on surgeries, fillers, and dramatic transformations that made him one of the most recognizable faces in the British cosmetic industry. He called himself the Lip King, building a massive social media following and launching his own aesthetics training academy. But behind the glamorous before-and-after photos lay a dee

Heaven's Gate: The UFO Cult That Ended in a Mansion in Rancho Santa Fe Jun 16, 2026 3970 On March 26, 1997, deputies responding to an anonymous tip entered a luxury mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and found 39 people dead. They were all dressed in matching black clothing and brand-new Nike sneakers, with purple shrouds placed carefully over their faces. The house was immaculate. The trash had been taken out. And every single person inside had died willingly, convinced they w

UPDATED: Bonus Episode: Neighbors "Patch of Grass" from the Patreon Vault Jun 12, 2026 2969 It seemed we missed some (ALL) edits on the last post. Thanks everyone who took the time to let us know! We are giving you a little gift this week. This episode originally aired on our Patreon several months ago, and we loved it so much that we wanted to share it with everyone. Consider this a peek behind the paywall! And if silly isn't for you, don't worry, we'll be back to our regularly sche

A Toxic Web in Zanesville: The Murder of Jayla Wyatt Jun 11, 2026 2529 On April 27, 2021, the quiet community of Zanesville, Ohio, was shattered when 23-year-old Jayla Wyatt was found shot to death in the entryway of a local apartment. She had been shot six times, including a devastating direct shot to the face. The apartment belonged to Patrick Downes, a man significantly older than Jayla with whom she had recently started staying. When investigators began looking

The System Failed Yana Huss: The Murder on Rickover Street Jun 9, 2026 5269 For years, local authorities in Charlotte County, Florida, were called to the home of Scott Lee Huss and Yana Huss. There were restraining orders, allegations of child abuse, threats, arrests, and repeated warnings from neighbors, teachers, and deputies that the situation was spiraling out of control. Yet, despite nineteen police visits in less than a year and multiple domestic violence charges, t

Rachel Nickell: The Case Behind the Netflix Documentary Jun 4, 2026 2992 Netflix is dropping a documentary today called "The Murder of Rachel Nickell," and if you want the full story before you watch, you are in the right place. On a warm morning in July of 1992, a young mother named Rachel Nickell was walking with her two-year-old son, Alex Hanscombe, on Wimbledon Common in southwest London. In broad daylight, an attacker emerged and brutally murdered Rachel. Little

We Covered 10 Cases in January: Here's Where They Stand Now Jun 2, 2026 3044 Back in January, we laid out ten major true crime cases we were watching closely for the first half of 2026. Now that we are halfway through the year, the courtroom developments have been absolutely wild. In this episode, we are checking in on all ten cases to bring you the shocking verdicts, final sentences, and dramatic updates that have unfolded across the country. We cover the sentencing of P

The Night He Brought Her Home: The Murder of Colby Vinson May 28, 2026 2669 On March 13, 2023, 24-year-old Colby Vinson received the news he had been fighting for all year. A judge officially granted him 50/50 custody of his four-year-old daughter, Preslee. But just six days later, on the very first night he brought her home, Colby was executed on his own doorstep while his little girl stood nearby. When investigators dug into the young father's life, they quickly realiz

The Nightmare in North Dakota: The Murder of Angila Wilder May 26, 2026 3581 On a freezing November night in 2015, 30-year-old nursing student Angila Wilder was stabbed 44 times inside her home in Minot, North Dakota. The brutal attack happened while her two-year-old son slept safely in the very next room. When her fiancé, Christopher Jackson, discovered the scene after returning from an overnight shift, investigators immediately began untangling a web of jealousy, obsessi

The Mystery of the Missing DA: The Disappearance of Ray Gricar May 21, 2026 3004 On April 15, 2005, Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar left his office for a routine afternoon drive through central Pennsylvania. He was 59 years old, highly respected, and just months away from a planned retirement. But Ray never returned home. Days later, his distinctive red and white Mini Cooper was found abandoned in an antique store parking lot near the Susquehanna River. The investi

Sarah Jo Pender: "The Female Charles Manson" May 19, 2026 3084 In October of 2000, the bodies of Andrew Cataldi and Tricia Nordman were found inside a dumpster behind an Indianapolis Teamsters building. The discovery quickly led police to the home the couple shared with Richard Hull and Sarah Jo Pender. What started as a gruesome double murder investigation soon transformed into a sprawling legal saga filled with recanted testimonies, forged letters, and a st

The Mackenzie Shirilla Case & Netflix's "The Crash" May 14, 2026 2658 It was around 6:15 AM on July 31, 2022, when a resident in Strongsville, Ohio, came upon the aftermath of a horrific accident. A black Toyota Camry had crashed into the side of a large brick building at the end of Progress Drive Business Park. When officers responded, they found three young people trapped inside. Passengers Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan were tragically pronounced dead at the s

The Disappearance and Murder of Maya Millete May 12, 2026 3211 On January 7, 2021, Maya Millete took the first steps toward ending her marriage. She scheduled a consultation with a divorce attorney, planning to wait just a few more days to get through her daughter's birthday weekend before breaking the news to her husband, Larry. But that night, after returning to her Chula Vista home, Maya vanished. We look closely at the months leading up to Maya's disappe

The Mystery of Sneha Philip May 7, 2026 2391 On the evening of September 10, 2001, 31-year-old physician Sneha Philip walked into her Lower Manhattan apartment building carrying shopping bags. It was the last confirmed sighting of her. By the next morning, planes struck the World Trade Center just blocks away, plunging the city into chaos and swallowing the mystery of her disappearance into the tragedy of 9/11. From the outside, Sneha and h

The Hawthorne Hill Shooting & The Fall of Michael Barisone May 5, 2026 3365 Hawthorne Hill was supposed to be a dream. An elite equestrian facility, an Olympic coach, and a student willing to do whatever it took to make it to the top. But what started as a $5,000 a month training arrangement between dressage legend Michael Barisone and rider Lauren Kanarek turned into one of the most bizarre and violent feuds in equestrian history. The fight over a prized horse named JT,

The Bennington Triangle: 5 Vanished in Vermont's Quiet Woods Apr 30, 2026 3417 Between 1945 and 1950, five people vanished without a trace in a remote, rugged stretch of southwestern Vermont. The area, later dubbed the Bennington Triangle, was once home to the booming logging town of Glastenbury, but as the town emptied out, a string of inexplicable disappearances began. From an experienced 74-year-old hunting guide to an 18-year-old college student, these cases shared one c

The Vanishing of Tony Parsons Apr 28, 2026 2564 On a cold September night in the Scottish Highlands, a 63-year-old grandfather set out on a solo cycling journey that he never returned from. Tony Parsons was an experienced endurance athlete riding 104 miles to raise money for charity after surviving prostate cancer. When he vanished without a trace along the remote A82, search teams spent years scouring the rugged terrain with no success. The t

The Sante & Kenny Kimes Jr. Case & The Murder of Irene Silverman Apr 23, 2026 3005 On July 5th, 1998, 82-year-old Manhattan socialite Irene Silverman vanished from her Upper East Side townhouse without a trace. There were no signs of a struggle and no forced entry, but the investigation quickly pointed to a tenant named Manny and his mother. What seemed like a sudden disappearance was actually the culmination of a highly calculated plan by Sante Kimes and her son, Kenneth Kimes

The Murder of Luther "Luke" Lee Coe III & The Lies That Led to a Life Sentence Apr 21, 2026 2763 On a summer evening in June 2021, a 911 call from a home in Newnan, Georgia, reported a terrible accident. Cheryl Coe claimed she had been startled awake and fired two warning shots at an intruder, only to realize she had shot her husband, Luther "Luke" Lee Coe III. But as investigators arrived and examined the scene, the physical evidence told a much different story. The gunshot wound was inflict

The Oahu Cliff Attack & The Trial of Gerhardt Konig Apr 16, 2026 3267 In the world of true crime, we talk a lot about masking the face a person presents to the world versus the face they wear behind closed doors. Few cases illustrate that duality more starkly than the story of Gerhardt and Arielle Konig. Arielle was a brilliant nuclear engineer and project manager at TerraPower. Gerhardt was a respected anesthesiologist. They had a blended family, a beautiful $1.5 m

The Murder of Alyssa Burkett Apr 14, 2026 2948 On the morning of October 2, 2020, 24-year-old Alyssa Burkett pulled into the parking lot of her job in Carrollton, Texas. Within minutes, she was ambushed in broad daylight, shot, and stabbed multiple times. What initially looked like a random act of extreme violence quickly revealed itself to be something much more sinister. Investigators soon discovered that someone had been quietly tracking Al

[Missing] The Yuba County Five & The Mystery of the Plumas National Forest Apr 9, 2026 2602 In February 1978, five young men from Yuba County, California, drove to Chico to watch a college basketball game. They were close friends who thrived on routine and predictability, and they had a big basketball tournament of their own the next day. But after a quick stop for snacks, Jack Madruga, Bill Sterling, Ted Weiher, Jackie Huett, and Gary Mathias vanished. Instead of driving south toward ho

The Disappearance and Murder of Mamta Kafle Bhatt Apr 7, 2026 3024 Mamta Kafle Bhatt worked tirelessly to build a life in the United States. She was a dedicated nurse at UVA Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, Virginia, and a loving mother to her one-year-old daughter. From the outside, her life and marriage to Naresh Bhatt appeared stable and happy. However, close friends and coworkers began to notice troubling signs, including visible injuries and attemp

The Murder of Moriah Wilson & The Escape of Kaitlin Armstrong Apr 2, 2026 2841 On May 11, 2022, 25-year-old professional gravel cyclist Moriah Wilson was found shot to death inside a friend's apartment in Austin, Texas. She had traveled to town for a major race that had the potential to elevate her rising career. Investigators quickly discovered that Moriah had spent the evening with Colin Strickland, a fellow cyclist who was involved in a complicated, on-again, off-again re

The Starvation Doctor: Linda Hazzard & The Williamson Sisters Mar 31, 2026 3891 A quick note on today's episode: Linda Hazzard's 'treatments' heavily involved extreme fasting and starvation. We want to mention this up front for anyone who might be sensitive to discussions around restrictive diets or disordered eating. This week we discuss Linda Hazzard, a self-proclaimed doctor in the early 1900s who convinced patients that extreme fasting was a medical cure. Operating out o

The Dunning-Kruger Effect: Why Incompetent People Think They're Experts Mar 26, 2026 2972 Have you ever met someone who was terrible at something but thought they were a genius? This week, we explore the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias where people with low ability at a task overestimate their own competence. We start with the case that inspired the research: McArthur Wheeler, a man who robbed two banks after covering his face in lemon juice, believing it would make him invisib

The Murder of Angie Resendiz & The Legacy of Vanessa Guillen Mar 24, 2026 2543 At 2:14 AM, Navy sailor Angelina “Angie” Resendiz made a frantic, crying phone call to a friend, begging to be picked up from a fellow sailor’s barracks. Moments later, a man took the phone and insisted she was fine, even as Angie could still be heard saying she wanted to leave. Her friend arrived within minutes, but Angie was nowhere to be found. Less than two weeks later, her body would be disco

The Teenage CEO Who Scammed Wall Street: Barry Minkow Mar 19, 2026 2580 At 16, Barry Minkow started a carpet cleaning company in his parents' garage. By 21, he was one of the youngest CEOs of a publicly traded company in America, with a business valued at over $200 million. But the entire empire was built on a foundation of lies. This is the story of ZZZZ Best, one of the most audacious corporate frauds of the 1980s, and the story of a charismatic young man who fooled

The Scott Family Massacre: The Trial of Amy Vilardi Mar 17, 2026 3413 On Halloween weekend in 2015, a quiet community in Pendleton, South Carolina, was shattered by a brutal quadruple homicide. Four members of the Scott family were found dead in their home, the victims of a savage knife and gun attack. For years, the case remained cold, leaving a family and a town desperate for answers. The initial theory of a robbery gone wrong slowly gave way to a more disturbing

[Missing] The Disappearance of Lars Mittank Mar 12, 2026 2622 In July 2014, 28-year-old German tourist Lars Mittank walked into Varna Airport in Bulgaria, preparing to fly home after a vacation. He had suffered a minor ear injury and needed a quick medical check before his flight. But what happened next turned his case into one of the most baffling disappearances in recent history. Surveillance cameras captured Lars suddenly bolting from the doctor’s office,

A Birthday Party in Hocking Hills Mar 10, 2026 3074 A birthday party at a rental cabin in the scenic Hocking Hills of Ohio should have been a night of celebration. But fueled by alcohol and jealousy, the night spiraled into a violent confrontation that left a young father, Charlie Starner, dead. This episode examines the chaotic moments captured on a cell phone video and the legal battle that followed, asking whether the stabbing was a desperate ac

The Betrayal of Skylar Neese Mar 5, 2026 2846 In 2012, 16-year-old Skylar Neese vanished without a trace from her Star City, West Virginia home. What initially seemed like a runaway case soon unraveled into a story of unimaginable betrayal. Her two best friends, Shelia Eddy and Rachel Shoaf, held a dark secret that would shock the nation and leave a community searching for answers. This episode revisits the heart-wrenching case of Skylar Nees

The Lindsay Shiver Story: A Murder Plot in Paradise Mar 3, 2026 2807 In the summer of 2023, police in The Bahamas were investigating a local bar burglary when they accidentally discovered a shocking murder-for-hire plot in a series of WhatsApp messages. The alleged target was Robert Shiver, a former football player from a wealthy Georgia family, and the accused mastermind was his estranged wife, former beauty queen Lindsay Shiver. The message that blew the case wid

[Florida Files] The Suitcase Murder: The Trial of Sarah Boone Feb 26, 2026 2935 In February 2020, Sarah Boone zipped her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr., into a suitcase during what she claimed was a drunken game of hide-and-seek. She then filmed him as he suffocated, taunting him and ignoring his pleas for help. The videos she recorded on her own phone became the centerpiece of a bizarre four-year legal saga that included 13 attorneys, a viral ad for legal help, and a defendant

Shoreline Defenders & The Bearded Bard- A Just for Fun Episode from the Moms! Feb 25, 2026 2986 A quick heads-up: this is a bonus episode where we're just having some fun. We also say 'like' a lot. We're, like, sorry... but not really. Today we're discussing the first episode from HBO Max's "Neighbors". Welcome to the sun-drenched beaches of Santa Rosa, Florida, where the battle for the shoreline is raging. Meet the “Shoreline Defenders,” a group of residents who believe the beach is for

Grace Jennings: The Santa Fe Sword Murder & The Trial of Isaac Apodaca Feb 24, 2026 2881 On October 29, 2022, police found 21-year-old Grace Jennings dead inside a detached garage in Santa Fe, killed with a sword. Her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend, Kiara McCulley, admitted her role, but prosecutors say she didn't act alone. They argue that Isaac Apodaca coerced her into committing the murder through a series of manipulative text messages, promising her advancement in a secret organization

MYSTERY: The Unexplained Death of Rey Rivera: A Hole in the Roof and a Thousand Questions Feb 19, 2026 3539 In May 2006, 32-year-old writer Rey Rivera vanished from his Baltimore home after receiving a mysterious phone call. Eight days later, his body was discovered in a locked, unused conference room at the historic Belvedere Hotel. He had fallen with such force that he crashed through the roof, leaving a shocking hole. Near the hole, investigators found his phone and glasses, strangely intact. The c

The Murder of Eric Richins: Betrayed by the Author of a Grief Book Feb 17, 2026 3336 Eric Richins was a devoted father of three and a successful Utah businessman, known for his big heart and infectious laugh. In March 2022, his life was tragically cut short when he was found dead in his bedroom from a lethal dose of fentanyl. The investigation into his shocking death would soon uncover a web of deceit, financial turmoil, and betrayal, leading to the arrest of the one person he sho

The Murder of Travis Alexander + The Disappearance of Nancy Guthrie Feb 12, 2026 3076 *The Disappearance of Nancy Guthrie begins around 38:00* This week, we're finally tackling a case we're surprised we haven't covered before: the story of Jodi Arias. In June 2008, the brutal murder of motivational speaker Travis Alexander in his Mesa, Arizona home set off an investigation that would captivate the nation. The prime suspect was his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Arias, and the trial that fo

The Canoe Man: The Unbelievable Fake Death of John Darwin Feb 10, 2026 2975 John Darwin, a prison officer from the UK, vanishes after a morning kayak trip, leaving behind a shattered canoe and a grieving family. After he’s declared legally dead, his wife Anne collects a £250,000 life insurance payout. But the story is far from over. Five years later, John walks into a police station claiming amnesia, unraveling a web of deceit that includes a secret passage, a new life

[FLORIDA FILES] Wade Wilson: The Double Murder That Shocked Cape Coral Feb 5, 2026 2821 Over the span of a single day, two women were killed in Cape Coral, Florida by someone neither of them had ever met. Kristine Melton, 35, and Diane Ruiz, 43, had no connection to each other...except that they both crossed paths with Wade Wilson on October 7th, 2019. In this episode, we break down the timeline of that horrific day, from the bar where Wade met Kristine, to the stolen car that conne

[FLORIDA FILES] OnlyFans Model Courtney Clenney: Self-Defense or Cold-Blooded Murder? Feb 3, 2026 3346 A luxury apartment in Miami, a high-profile OnlyFans model, and a 911 call where she pleads for help after her boyfriend has been stabbed. But was it a clear case of self-defense, or was it cold-blooded murder? The story of Courtney Clenney and Christian Obumseli is a tangled web of toxic love, public fights, and shocking evidence that will make you question everything you think you know. In thi

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