Serial Napper | True Crime for the Chronically Tired
Serial Napper is a true crime podcast for the chronically tired. It explores dark real-world crimes with a calm, steady voice and unflinching focus. Each episode examines cases of disappearance, manipulation, violence, and murder, told with quiet intensity and deep respect for victims. The podcast offers deliberate, no-nonsense storytelling without theatrics or filler, aiming to lull listeners to sleep or give them nightmares. New episodes are released every Friday.
Episodes
The Child Star Who Vanished: What Happened to Joe Pichler?
In January 2006, 18-year-old Joe Pichler seemingly vanished from Bremerton, Washington.
Joe had grown up in front of the camera, appearing in movies and television shows including The Fan, Varsity Blues, Beethoven’s 3rd and Beethoven’s 4th. After stepping away from Hollywood as a teenager, he returned home, graduated high school and began building an ordinary life while planning his eventual retu
The Murder of Dan Markel, Part Two: The Conspiracy Unravels
When we left off in Part One, Florida State University law professor Dan Markel had been murdered in what investigators believed was a carefully planned hit.
Nearly two years later, police had traced a rented green Prius from Tallahassee back to South Florida, identified suspected gunmen Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, uncovered connections to Katherine Magbanua and Charlie Adelson, and staged a
The Murder of Dan Markel, Part One: The Hit
Florida State University law professor Dan Markel was 41 years old when he was shot in the garage of his Tallahassee home in July 2014. It quickly became clear that this wasn't a random act of violence. Someone had followed Dan through his morning routine, waited until he returned home, and then disappeared.
But who would want a Canadian-born law professor and devoted father of two dead?
The ans
[BONUS] What Happened to Liam Tomen? - Chat w/ True Crimecast
In this episode, the True Crimecast team, John and Jamie, sit down with Nikki Young, host of the Serial Napper podcast, to take a deep dive into the disturbing and unsolved disappearance of 22-year-old Liam Tomen.
On the weekend of January 31, 2025, Liam and two friends travelled from Whitby, Ontario, to the resort village of Mont Tremblant, Quebec, for a ski trip. After spending the evening at l
Nothing Ever Happens Here: Jennifer Teague's Last Walk Home
On a warm September night in 2005, 18-year-old Jennifer Teague finished her shift at a Wendy's restaurant in Barrhaven, Ontario. She stopped to chat with friends at the local Mac's Milk before beginning the short walk home, a route she'd taken countless times before. She never made it.
Jennifer's disappearance shattered the sense of safety in one of Ottawa's fastest-growing suburbs. As police, vo
The OnlyFans Murder Case: Courtney Clenney's Self-Defence Claim
On April 3, 2022, 27-year-old Christian "Toby" Obumseli was fatally stabbed inside the luxury Miami condominium he shared with his girlfriend, influencer and OnlyFans creator Courtney Clenney.
Courtney never denied causing the fatal injury, but she insisted it was self-defence. Prosecutors insisted it was murder.
For years, this case divided the internet. Security footage, police bodycam video,
Four Women at the Bottom of the Locks: The Shafia Family Murders
In June 2009, four women from the same family were found dead inside a submerged car at the Kingston Mills Locks near Kingston, Ontario. At first, it appeared to be a tragic accident. Their family claimed the women had taken the car for a late-night drive and somehow ended up in the water.
But investigators quickly uncovered a much darker truth.
As evidence mounted, police began to suspect that
The Mother Texas Almost Executed: Is Melissa Lucio Innocent?
In February 2007, two-year-old Mariah Alvarez died after suffering a catastrophic head injury just days after her family moved into a new apartment in Harlingen, Texas. Within hours, investigators became convinced they were looking at one of the worst cases of child abuse they had ever seen. Mariah's mother, Melissa Lucio, endured a five-hour interrogation while pregnant with twins, eventually utt
The Tinder Revenge Killing: Liam Smith's Murder
On November 24, 2022, 38-year-old Liam Smith stepped outside his home in Shevington, Greater Manchester. He never made it back inside.
For nearly ten hours, Michael Hillier had been waiting in a Mitsubishi Shogun parked outside Liam's home. When Liam approached the vehicle, Hillier shot him in the face at close range before pouring sulphuric acid over him as he lay fatally wounded. The shocking a
Seven Days Then Silence: The Story of Frauke Liebs
Frauke Liebs: The Woman Who Kept Calling Home
On June 20, 2006, 21-year-old nursing student Frauke Liebs left an Irish pub in Paderborn, Germany, after watching an England World Cup match with friends. She was expected home in just fifteen minutes. She never arrived.
Then something unimaginable happened.
Over the next week, Frauke made a series of brief phone calls to her roommate, her family,
Behind the LilithIsTruth Emails: The Michelle Hadley Story
When Angela Diaz reported that someone was terrorizing her with anonymous emails, Craigslist rape fantasies, and violent threats against her unborn twins, the case seemed straightforward. Her husband, Deputy U.S. Marshal Ian Diaz, told investigators he knew exactly who was responsible: his ex-fiancée, Michelle Hadley.
Police believed him. Prosecutors believed him. The media believed him.
Michell
The Last Walk Home: The Mysterious Disappearance of Steven Clark
Steven Clark vanished on December 28, 1992, after walking into a public toilet on the seafront in Saltburn, England. More than thirty years later, his disappearance remains one of Britain's most baffling unsolved mysteries.
On a cold winter afternoon, 23-year-old Steven Clark spent the day walking along the beach with his mother, Doris. Before heading home, the pair stopped at public toilets alon
The Uncle Who Never Existed: What Happened to Bianca Lebron?
On the morning of November 7, 2001, ten-year-old Bianca Lebron walked to Elias Howe Elementary School in Bridgeport, Connecticut, just as she always did. While waiting outside before classes began, she excitedly told classmates that her uncle was taking her shopping for the day. She even invited some of them to come along.
Minutes later, multiple witnesses watched Bianca calmly climb into a brown
Judge, Jury, Executioner: The Bobby Kent "Bully" Case
In July 1993, 20-year-old Bobby Kent believed he was meeting his ex-girlfriend for a second chance.
Instead, he was driven to a secluded rock pit in western Broward County, Florida, where seven young people were waiting. Among them was Bobby's best friend of fourteen years, Marty Puccio.
The murder of Bobby Kent would inspire books, documentaries, and the 2001 film Bully, but the real story is f
You Can Fake Your Death... But Not Forever: The Nicholas Rossi Story
How far would someone go to escape accountability?
In 2020, child advocate Nicholas Rossi was declared dead after an alleged battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Politicians mourned him. Friends grieved. An obituary celebrated his life and his supposed contributions to foster care reform.
There was just one problem. Nicholas Rossi wasn't dead.
Nearly two years later, a critically ill COVID patient
The Missing Hour: Who Was Mekayla Bali Waiting For?
Sixteen-year-old Mekayla Bali spent the morning of April 12, 2016, moving across Yorkton, Saskatchewan. She went to school... for six minutes. She withdrew every dollar from her bank account. She tried to pawn a ring. She spent hours sitting in restaurants, checking her phone, waiting for someone. She told friends she was heading to Regina. Then, at approximately 1:45 p.m., she walked out of a bus
The Child Nobody Was Looking For: Where is Harmony Montgomery?
When 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery was finally reported missing in December 2021, investigators made a horrifying discovery: nobody had seen her in nearly two years. There were no school records, doctor's appointments or welfare checks. No confirmed sightings.
A little girl had seemingly vanished from the face of the earth while the very systems designed to protect her failed to notice she was go
Rogue Transmission 4: DungeonPunk | Part 2
Rogue Transmissions--the edgy, semi-annual anthology of indie podcasts--is invading your podcast feed with DUNGEONPUNK PART 2 ... a symphony of 80s nostalgia, dystopian cyberpunk, and savage swords drawn against both super sorcery & super science. Featuring an adventuring party of your indie podcast favourites!
FIRST UP, Octoberpod presents "Byzantium Slab: The Shell Remember" a wraparound tale o
The Missing Boy Who Didn't Want to Be Found: Alex Batty's Kidnapping
In 2017, 11-year-old Alex Batty left the UK for what was supposed to be a short holiday in Spain with his mother and grandfather. But when the trip ended, Alex never came home.
His grandmother, Susan Caruana, who was his legal guardian, received a chilling video message instead. In it, Alex appeared to read from a script, asking her not to look for him. Then he vanished.
For the next six years,
Wake Up, Mummy: Rachel Nickell and the Killer Police Missed
In 1992, Rachel Nickell was murdered on Wimbledon Common while her two-year-old son watched helplessly. As Britain demanded answers, police became convinced they had found their killer. They hadn't. While investigators targeted Colin Stagg, the real murderer, Robert Napper, remained free.
On a summer morning in South West London, 23-year-old Rachel Nickell set out for a walk with her son Alex and
The Due Date: Taylor Parker and the Baby That Never Was
In October 2020, a frantic woman called 911 from an Oklahoma highway, claiming she had just given birth on the side of the road. Covered in blood and clutching a newborn baby, she begged first responders to help save her child.
But there was one devastating problem. She had never been pregnant.
In this episode of Serial Napper, we examine the shocking case of Taylor Parker, a woman who spent mon
Rogue Transmission 4: DungeonPunk | Part 1
Rogue Transmissions--the edgy, semi-annual anthology of indie podcasts--is invading your podcast feed with DUNGEONPUNK PART 1 ... a symphony of 80s nostalgia, dystopian cyberpunk, and savage swords drawn against both super sorcery & super science. Featuring an adventuring party of your indie podcast favourites!
FIRST UP, Octoberpod presents "Byzantium Slab: Life Without A Soul" a wraparound tale
The Mr. Big Confession: What Happened to Jennifer Hillier-Penney?
On the morning of December 1, 2016, a teenage girl woke up to the sound of her mother's cellphone alarm ringing endlessly from the kitchen table.
Jennifer Hillier-Penney's purse was still there. Her coat was still there. Her boots, passport, vehicle, and personal belongings had all been left behind. Jennifer was nowhere to be found.
What followed was one of Newfoundland and Labrador's most haunt
A Voice in the Dark: The Murder of Amber Tuccaro
In August 2010, 20-year-old Amber Tuccaro flew from Fort McMurray to Edmonton with her young son, Jacob, hoping for a short getaway and a break from the stress of everyday life. Within hours, Amber vanished.
What followed became one of the most haunting unsolved cases in Canadian history.
Years later, the RCMP released a chilling audio recording captured during a 17-minute phone call Amber made
The Stockdale Family Murders: What Happened After Wife Swap
In 2008, millions of Americans watched the Stockdale family on Wife Swap and saw a deeply religious, old-fashioned family trying to shield their children from the modern world. They lived on a rural Ohio farm, homeschooled their sons, banned television and dating, and spent their lives performing together as a bluegrass gospel band.
To some viewers, they seemed wholesome and disciplined. To other
The Baby in the Crib: The Eastburn Murders
The Eastburn family looked like the picture of a happy military family in 1985. Gary Eastburn was away at training. His wife Kathryn was home in North Carolina with their three little girls, preparing for the family’s upcoming move to England.
Then, on Mother’s Day weekend, a neighbour noticed newspapers piling up in the driveway.
Inside the house, police would find a scene so brutal it would ha
The Wife, The Mistress, and the Murders: Betty Broderick Case
Betty Broderick became one of America’s most infamous killers. She also became something much stranger: a woman thousands of people thought they understood.
In 1989, Betty walked into the San Diego home of her ex-husband, high-powered attorney Dan Broderick, and his new wife, Linda Kolkena, and shot them while they slept. The murders shocked the country. But what shocked people even more was how
The Psychic Who Found Melanie Uribe: Etta Smith's Vision
Melanie Uribe was just trying to get to work.
On December 15th, 1980, the 31-year-old nurse and single mother vanished on her way to a night shift in California. Hours later, her burned truck was discovered abandoned on a dead-end road. Witnesses reported hearing screams and seeing men force their way into her vehicle at a stoplight before driving away. Then the case took a turn nobody could expl
The Men at the Door: The Disappearance of Elnaz Hajtamiri
37-year-old Elnaz Hajtamiri knew she was in danger.
Weeks before she vanished, she survived a violent attack in the underground parking garage of her Richmond Hill condo after two masked men allegedly tried to kidnap her. She was beaten with a frying pan so severely that she required roughly 40 stitches.
Terrified, Elnaz left her home and went into hiding with her family in Wasaga Beach, Ontario
What Came Up Through the Pipes: The Killings of Rori Hache & Kandis Fitzpatrick
An apartment building in Oshawa had a clogged drain. By the end of the day, police would uncover one of Canada’s most horrifying murder investigations.
When plumbers pulled a strange pink, flesh-like substance from the pipes of a basement apartment in December 2017, they immediately called police. What officers found inside the apartment of Adam Strong would shock even seasoned investigators: hum
The Girl in the Bed: Searching for Paulette Gebara Farah
On March 22, 2010, four-year-old Paulette Gebara Farah was reported missing from her family’s luxury apartment in Mexico City.
There were no signs of forced entry. No ransom demands. No witnesses. And this wasn’t a child who could easily wander off.
What followed was a massive media frenzy. Her parents, Mauricio Gebara and Lizette Farah, made emotional public appeals as search efforts intensifie
Six Minutes on the Bay Bridge: The Unsolved Disappearance of Toni Clark
Just before midnight in March 1990, Toni Clark was driving home across the Bay Bridge when her car stalled. Minutes later, another vehicle crashed into it.
Police arrived within six minutes. Toni was gone.
No one saw her go over the bridge. No evidence proved she entered the water. And a week later, her mother says she received a phone call she believed came from Toni herself.
In this episode o
He Was Given a Second Chance…Then Killed His Family Again: The Gregory Green Case
In 1991, Gregory Green brutally murdered his pregnant wife, stabbing her to death inside their home while her children hid nearby. Despite the severity of the crime, he was sentenced to 15–25 years and was eventually released on parole after serving 16 years.
He appeared to rebuild his life. He remarried. He became part of a church community. He had more children. But behind closed doors… the sam
The Last Six Minutes: The Mackenzie Shirilla Case
Three teenagers left a house in the early morning hours of July 31, 2022. Six minutes later, two were dead and one would be convicted of murder.
In Strongsville, Ohio, a car driven by 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla slammed into a brick building at nearly 100 miles per hour, killing her boyfriend Dominic Russo and their friend Davion Flanagan. At first, it looked like a tragic crash. But investiga
The 8 Minutes: The Amber Hagerman Case That Created the AMBER Alert
On January 13, 1996, nine-year-old Amber Hagerman was riding her bike in Arlington, Texas, when she was abducted by a stranger in broad daylight.
There was a witness. Police were called immediately. A search began within minutes. And still… Amber was gone.
Four days later, her body was found in a creek just a few miles from where she was taken. Her killer has never been identified.
In this epis
After Columbine: The Unsolved Murders of Nick Kunselman & Stephanie Hart-Grizzell
On February 14th, 2000—Valentine’s Day—15-year-old Nicholas “Nick” Kunselman and 16-year-old Stephanie Hart-Grizzell were found shot to death behind the counter of a Subway restaurant in Littleton, Colorado.
Just ten months earlier, both teens had survived the Columbine High School shooting. They were part of a community still trying to heal… still trying to move forward.
That night was supposed
She Checked In… and Vanished by 3:32 PM: The Unsolved Murder of Kayo Matsuzawa
She arrived in Auckland at 2:14 PM. By 3:32 PM, she was gone.
In September 1998, 29-year-old Kayo Matsuzawa travelled from Japan to New Zealand to study English and explore the world she had dreamed of seeing since she was a child. She was careful. Prepared. Independent. And just months away from returning home.
But during a short trip to Auckland, something happened in the space of just over an
Groomed, Taken, and the App No One Was Watching: The Hailey Buzbee Case
17-year-old Hailey Buzbee vanished from her home in Fishers, Indiana, in January 2026. What started as online gaming turned into a year-long grooming process that ended in tragedy.
In this episode of Serial Napper, we walk through the case of Hailey Buzbee, from the quiet early morning hours she disappeared… to the digital trail that led investigators across state lines and into the woods of Ohio
Violent Night: The Livestream Murder of Natalie McNally
Natalie McNally was 32 years old, 15 weeks pregnant, and preparing for a future she believed was finally falling into place.
On December 18, 2022, she spent the evening with her family watching the World Cup final before heading home to her house in Silverwood Green. Hours later, she was brutally killed.
Her boyfriend, Stephen McCullagh, seemed like the last person anyone would suspect. He had a
The Murder of Moriah Wilson: Jealousy, Lies, and the Kaitlin Armstrong Manhunt
Professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson was in Austin, Texas, for a race when she was shot to death inside a friend’s home. What first looked like a quiet, targeted killing quickly turned into one of the most bizarre true crime stories in recent years, involving a secret relationship, a jealous girlfriend, an international manhunt, plastic surgery, and a 2023 murder conviction.
In this episode of
The Father Who Said It Was Love: The Robert Latimer Case
In October 1993, a small farming community in Wilkie, Saskatchewan, was shaken when Robert Latimer was arrested for killing his own daughter.
At first, Tracy Latimer’s death didn’t seem suspicious. She had lived her entire life with severe cerebral palsy, daily seizures, chronic pain, and repeated surgeries. Her health was fragile, and her family had spent years caring for her through hospital st
A Predator in Uniform: The Kidnapping and Murder of Sarah Everard
In March 2021, 33‑year‑old Sarah Everard disappeared while walking home from a friend’s house in South London. What began as a missing person’s case quickly turned into one of the most shocking and heartbreaking stories the UK has ever seen...because the man responsible wasn’t a stranger in the dark. He was a police officer.
This episode takes a deep, updated look at the full story of Sarah Evera
He Won the Lottery…Then Vanished: The Disappearance of Joshua Saulteaux
When 25‑year‑old Joshua Saulteaux from Whitefish Lake First Nation, Alberta, scratched a ticket and won $1 million, it was supposed to be the start of a new life. Instead, just weeks later, he was gone, leaving behind his new RV, his phone, and a haunting scene of blood inside.
In this episode, we trace Joshua’s short road from celebration to disappearance, exploring the fear he felt in his final
The Monster of the Miramichi: The Final Chapter of Allan Legere
This week, we return to one of the most haunting cases ever to strike the east coast of Canada: the reign of terror unleashed by Allan Joseph Legere, better known as The Monster of the Miramichi.
In 1989, a quiet community was transformed into a place gripped by fear as Legere, an escaped convict with a violent past, stalked the woods, broke into homes, assaulted, tortured, and murdered with esca
The Heavy Backpack: Colt Gray and the Apalachee High Shooting
A heavy backpack. A quiet question in first‑period math. And a year of warnings that went unanswered. This episode of Serial Napper traces the long, tangled path leading to the Apalachee High shooting and the four lives lost in minutes.
In this late‑night deep dive, we walk through the slow unravelling of 14‑year‑old Colt Gray: a boy raised in chaos, overlooked by schools, ignored by caseworkers,
Between 7:00 and 7:46: Rebecca Reusch is Missing
On the morning of February 18, 2019, 15-year-old Rebecca Reusch was supposed to go to school. She never arrived.
The last confirmed sign of life? A Snapchat sent from inside her sister’s home in Berlin-Britz. At 7:46 a.m., her phone connected to the house Wi-Fi for the final time. After that, her digital footprint vanished.
In this episode of Serial Napper, we walk through one of Germany’s most
Britain’s Child Killer: Mary Bell and the Question of Evil
In the summer of 1968, the tight-knit community of Scotswood in Newcastle upon Tyne was shaken by two devastating deaths. Four-year-old Martin Brown was found in an abandoned house. Three-year-old Brian Howe was discovered weeks later, strangled behind concrete blocks near a railway.
The person ultimately convicted? An 11-year-old girl named Mary Flora Bell.
In this episode of Serial Napper, we
The Hurricane, The Baby, The Life Sentence: Tiffany Woods Plea
In 2005, just weeks after surviving a 41-day stay in the NICU, baby Emmanuel Woods died of malnutrition in Shreveport, Louisiana. His mother, Tiffany Woods, was later convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Her crime? Switching her premature infant to cow’s milk after Hurricane Katrina displaced the family and disrupted access to formula and medical care.
Nearly twenty
The Night the Party Turned Silent: Matthew Degrood and the Brentwood Stabbings
April 15, 2014.
What began as a small student gathering near the University of Calgary ended in one of the most devastating nights in the city’s history.
Five young people went to a house party in Brentwood and never made it home.
The accused, 22-year-old Matthew DeGrood, the son of a Calgary police officer, would later be diagnosed with schizophrenia and found Not Criminally Responsible for th
He Was 2 Minutes From His Hotel… Then Vanished: Liam Toman is Missing
In February 2025, 22-year-old Liam Gabriel Toman disappeared from Mont-Tremblant after a night out at Le P’tit Caribou. Last seen on surveillance walking toward his hotel, he never made it back — and his disappearance remains unsolved.
After a day on the slopes and drinks in the village, Liam was captured on camera just minutes from his room. An extensive search followed. Weeks later, his wallet
Living Next Door to a Monster: The Murders of Mchale Busch and Noah McConnell
In September 2021, Mchale Busch and her 16-month-old son Noah McConnell were murdered in their apartment building in Hinton, Alberta, by a neighbour the system already knew was dangerous.
This episode explores how a young family, searching for safety and stability, unknowingly moved next door to Robert Keith Major, a convicted sex offender assessed as high risk to reoffend. Despite documented war
No Person Is Disposable: The Unsolved Murder of Wilma June Nissen
In October of 1978, a young woman’s body was found dragged into a roadside ditch along a rural gravel road in Lyon County, Iowa. She had been dead for months. She had no identification. No missing person report. No name.
For 27 years, she was known only as Jane Doe. That woman was Wilma June Nissen.
Wilma’s life was marked by abandonment and survival long before her murder. Born in 1954, she end
Twelve Hours in Paradise: What Happened to Kiara Agnew
Kiara Agnew was 23 years old when she left Canada for the very first time.
In March 2023, the Dawson Creek, British Columbia woman travelled to Playa del Carmen, Mexico to celebrate her birthday with her boyfriend. She sent happy videos home. Smiled from a resort balcony. Talked about food and the beach. Everything about the trip felt ordinary.
Less than twelve hours later, Kiara was found beate
The Missing Boys Who Were Never Missing: Finding Orson and Orrin West
In December 2020, two little boys vanished from a backyard in California City just days before Christmas.
Three-year-old Orrin West and four-year-old Orson West were reported missing by their adoptive parents, who claimed the boys wandered away through an open gate while playing outside.
At first, it sounded like every parent’s nightmare. But almost immediately, nothing about the story made sens
The Girl Who Saw Everything: Cassidy Stay Survives
On July 9, 2014, a quiet home in Spring, Texas, became the site of an unimaginable act of violence.
Six members of the Stay family were murdered in their own home. Parents Stephen Stay and Katie Stay, and four children, Bryan Stay, Emily Stay, Rebecca Stay, and Zach Stay, were killed by a man who believed he was owed something he had already lost.
Only one person survived.
Fifteen-year-old Cass
From Missing to Murder: Suzanne Morphew's Final Days
In 2020, Suzanne Morphew vanished on Mother’s Day from a small mountain town in Colorado. The story the public was given was simple: a bike ride, an accident, maybe an animal attack.
But Suzanne was never seen on a bike.
In this episode, I return to the case I first covered when Suzanne was still missing and trace what happened next. The red flags that were visible from the beginning. The years
The Ones Left Behind: The Disappearances of Michael and Chucky Palmer
In 1999, fifteen-year-old Michael Palmer disappeared after leaving a graduation party and riding his bike home in Wasilla. His bicycle was later found in the Little Susitna River. His shoes were discovered nearby. Michael himself was never found.
For eleven years, his family lived with unanswered questions.
Then, in 2010, history repeated itself.
Michael’s brother, Charles “Chucky” Palmer Jr.,
Suicide or Something More in Small-Town Missouri? The Unanswered Death of Tanner Ward
On June 7, 2017, 19-year-old Tanner Ward left his family’s home in Trenton, Missouri, saying he’d be back in thirty minutes.
He never returned.
Six months later, Tanner’s body was discovered hanging in a tree just blocks from his home. Authorities ruled his death a suicide. Two autopsies reached the same conclusion. And on paper, the case was closed.
But for Tanner’s family, the story never set
A Double Life and a Dead Man: The Murder of Dennis Hoy
In the early morning hours of October 27, 2006, Dennis Hoy was killed as he slept in his girlfriend’s bed in Etobicoke, Ontario.
At first, the story sounded almost tidy. An intruder. A shower running. A crime that appeared sudden and external.
But this case was never simple.
What followed was a tangled investigation involving a secret relationship, rehearsed narratives, a confession that was ne
The McDonald’s Murders of Sydney River: A Fast-Food Robbery That Became a Massacre
On May 7, 1992, three young men broke into a McDonald’s restaurant in Sydney River, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, planning to rob the safe and walk away with easy money.
Instead, the night ended in one of the most shocking crimes in Canadian history.
Three McDonald’s employees were murdered.One young woman survived with permanent, life-altering injuries.And a small community was left forever changed
One Survivor, One Note, No Clear Truth: The Bain Family Massacre
Five members of one family were found shot to death inside their home in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Parents Robin Bain and Margaret Bain, along with their children Arawa (19), Laniet (18), and Stephen (14), were all killed in the early morning hours of June 20, 1994.
The only person left alive was the eldest son, David Bain, who said he had been out delivering newspapers at the time of the murders.
When Christmas Was a Lie: The Murder of Za’Zell Preston
On Christmas morning in 2011, in Anaheim, California, children opened their presents just feet away from their mother’s body.
Za’Zell Preston was 26 years old, a mother of three, a dancer, and a full-time college student studying to become a domestic violence counselor. Seven weeks postpartum, she was trying to build a future for herself and her children while trapped in a violent and controlling
He Was on FaceTime With His Kids: The Unsolved Murder of Nick Cordova
On May 27, 2020, Nick Cordova, a 40-year-old husband and father of two, was murdered inside his Gilbert, Arizona HVAC business while he was on FaceTime with his children.
Nick was shot in broad daylight.Surveillance footage exists.A vehicle of interest was identified.
And more than five years later, no one has been arrested.
In this episode, we walk through who Nick Cordova was before his life
38 Weeks Pregnant and Gone: The Murder of Rebecca Park
In November 2025, Rebecca Kay Park vanished from Boon Township, Michigan, just days to weeks before she was due to give birth to her third son. Within 24 hours, her phone turned up near a rural two-track road. Three weeks later, Rebecca’s body was discovered deep in the Manistee National Forest...her unborn son missing.
What followed was a horrifying investigation that uncovered a maze of family
The Girl Maryville Failed: Daisy Coleman's Lifelong Battle
Tonight, we’re diving into the heartbreaking life and death of Daisy Coleman, the teenager at the center of the Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, whose fight for justice and advocacy for other survivors changed the national conversation around sexual assault.
This isn’t a murder case, but it is a tragedy that exposes something deeply broken in the systems meant to protect children. Daisy surviv
The Disappearance of Dylan Koshman: Vanished After a Family Fight
In October 2008, 21-year-old Dylan Koshman walked out the back door of a south Edmonton home after a late-night fight with his cousins… and was never seen again. No jacket. No wallet. No phone. No trace.
What looked at first like a young man storming off in anger quickly became something much darker. Dylan’s phone and wallet were later found in a neighbour’s yard. Multiple 911 calls reported figh
Melodee Buzzard is Missing: A Cross-Country Trip and a Mother’s Unravelling Story
9-year-old Melodee Buzzard vanished in October after a cross-country trip with her mother, and the story behind her disappearance keeps getting stranger. Her last confirmed sighting was near the Colorado–Utah state line. Days later, her mother returned to Lompoc alone, with swapped license plates, changing statements, and no explanation for where Melodee went.
In this episode, I break down the co
The Disappearance of Chance Englebert: Remains Identified After 6 Years, New Questions Emerge
25-year-old Chance Englebert vanished without a trace after a tense holiday weekend argument in July 2019. He walked away from his in-laws’ home in Gering, Nebraska, during a storm and was never seen alive again. For years, his case sat in that agonizing space between hope and heartbreak...until now.
In October 2025, remains were discovered at Scott’s Bluff National Monument. They have now been p
The Setagaya Murders: The Unsolved Miyazawa Family Case
On December 30th, 2000, the Miyazawa family murders shocked Japan and became one of the most chilling unsolved murder cases in Japanese history. In the quiet Tokyo suburb of Setagaya, 44-year-old Mikio Miyazawa, his wife Yasuko, and their children Niina and Rei were brutally killed inside their home — a crime now known globally as The Setagaya Family Murders or simply The Miyazawa Family Murder Ca
Missing on New Year’s Night: The Unsolved Disappearance of Amy Fitzpatrick
On New Year’s Night, 2008, fifteen-year-old Amy Fitzpatrick left her best friend’s home in Calahonda, Spain, for what should have been a short walk back to her house. She never arrived. No CCTV, no belongings left behind, no confirmed sightings. Just a child who stepped into the dark and vanished.
This episode dives deep into the chaotic months leading up to Amy’s disappearance, the instability a
Satanic Panic, Slayer, and the Truth Buried in Arroyo Grande: Elyse Pahler's Murder
In 1995, 15-year-old Elyse Pahler disappeared from her home in Arroyo Grande, California. For months, police brushed her off as a runaway. Her family begged for answers. Rumours spread. Tips went nowhere. And meanwhile, the truth was sitting in the eucalyptus grove just a quarter mile from her house.
This episode dives into the disturbing case of Elyse Pahler, a story twisted by Satanic Panic hea
The Twin Who Killed in His Dreams: Meghan Elliot's Nightmare
In the early hours of September 29th, 2021, seventeen-year-old Benjamin Elliott called 911 sobbing, saying,
“I just killed my sister… I thought it was a dream.”
When police arrived, they found Benjamin covered in blood, clutching a knife, and his twin sister, Meghan dead in her bed.
What followed was one of the most haunting and divisive murder cases Texas has ever seen. Benjamin claimed he was
The Pickering Lost Boys: Six Men, One Night, No Trace
On the night of March 17th, 1995, six teenage boys from Pickering, Ontario: Jay Boyle, Michael Cummins, Danny Higgins, Chad Smith, Robbie Rumboldt, and Jamie Lefebvre — walked into the cold darkness near Lake Ontario and were never seen again.
It was supposed to be just another night of partying over March Break. But by morning, the boys were gone...no calls, no sightings, no trace. Their footpri
The St. Pius X High School Shooting: Robert Poulin's Secret Life
In October 1975, Ottawa was a picture of calm - polite, predictable, and almost boring in its safety. But that illusion shattered when 17-year-old Robert Poulin, a Catholic school student, carried out one of Canada’s first modern school shootings. Before walking into Saint Pius X High School with a sawed-off shotgun, he set fire to his own home, where firefighters would later discover the body of
The Woods Remember: The Unsolved Murder of Holly Piirainen
In August of 1993, ten-year-old Holly Kristen Piirainen vanished while visiting her grandparents’ cottage in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. She’d walked just a few hundred yards down a dirt road to see a neighbour’s puppies...and never came back. Seventy-nine days later, hunters discovered her remains in the woods of nearby Brimfield.
More than thirty years later, Holly’s killer has never been caught
The Man Who Killed Halloween: The True Story of the Candyman Killer
It’s the urban legend every parent has whispered at least once: “Check your candy, you never know what could be inside.” But in 1974, that warning wasn’t just a myth. In Pasadena, Texas, eight-year-old Timothy O’Bryan was poisoned by a Pixy Stix laced with cyanide, handed to him by his own father.
This is the horrifying true story of Ronald O’Bryan, the man the media dubbed The Candyman Killer. H
[BONUS] Perplexing Halloween Stories ft. Perplexity A Mystery Podcast
To ring in 150 EPISODES, Kaydra invites some friends to the show to read some of their favorite spooky stories from the internet. Happy Halloween!
This episode was produced and edited by Kaydra Brannan, the host of Perplexity: A Mystery Podcast. https://www.perplexitymysterypodcast.com/
Show Notes:
Perplexity: A Mystery Podcast https://www.perplexitymysterypodcast.com/
Story: https://www.reddi
The Gainesville Ripper: A Serial Nightmare in a College Town
In the summer of 1990, Gainesville, Florida, was a humid little college town buzzing with new school year jitters...until one week changed everything.
Within days, five University of Florida students were brutally murdered in their homes. Doors were barricaded, classes cancelled, and the city descended into full-blown terror. The killer was methodical, staging his victims like something out of a
Murder Under the Big Top: The Story of Lobster Boy
Tonight on Serial Napper, we’re stepping into the strange, tragic world of Grady Stiles Jr., better known as Lobster Boy, the carnival performer born with fused “claw-like” hands who turned his sideshow fame into a nightmare for everyone around him.
From his childhood under the tent lights of the travelling freak show to his reign of terror at home, Grady’s story blurs the line between fascinatio
The Napa Halloween Murders: Evil in Wine Country
Napa Valley, famous for its wine, rolling hills, and peaceful small-town charm, wasn’t the kind of place where doors stayed locked or nightmares felt real. But on Halloween night, 2004, that illusion shattered when two young women were brutally murdered in their own home.
In this episode of Serial Napper, we’re diving into the chilling case of Adriane Insogna and Leslie Ann Mazzara, two roommates
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