As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Channon Christian and Chris Newsom with me today.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Cherica Adams with me today.
In November 1999, 24-year-old Cherica Adams, who was eight months pregnant, was shot four times while driving through Charlotte, North Carolina. Before she lost consciousness, Cherica was able to call 911 and name the man responsible for setting her up, her boyfriend, former NFL player Rae Carruth.
Investigators learned that Carruth had orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot to avoid paying child support. He arranged for another man, Van Brett Watkins, to ambush Cherica as they drove in separate cars. Cherica survived long enough to give birth to her son, Chancellor, who suffered permanent brain damage due to lack of oxygen following the shooting. Cherica died a month later from her injuries.
At trial, Carruth was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison. He was released in 2018. The shooter, Watkins, received a life sentence.
Cherica’s legacy lives on through her son, who is cared for by Cherica’s mother and continues to inspire people with his resilience and strength.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Michelle Camile DeMarzo with me today.
In June 1978, 18-year-old Michelle DeMarzo was found brutally murdered at a conservation center in Cranford, New Jersey, nude, bludgeoned, and surrounded by signs of extreme violence.
Her former boyfriend, Neil Costanzo, who had known Michelle for years and from whom she had broken up a while earlier, was arrested and charged with her murder.
The killing rocked the community, turning a suburban high school graduation season into a scene of horror and fear. To this day, the case stands as a chilling reminder of how violence can shatter lives and the innocence of youth.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering the Broaddus family with me today. In June 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased a $1.35 million home at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey. Just days after closing, but before they even moved in, they received the first of several anonymous letters addressed to “The New Owner” from someone calling themselves “The Watcher.”
The letters claimed the house had been “watched” by the sender’s family for generations, referenced the Broaddus children as “young blood,” and threatened that the homeowners would be drawn into the sender’s plans.
Over the next several years, the family was terrorised with more letters, hired private investigators and ex-FBI agents, and ultimately never moved in. In July 2019 they sold the house at a loss, after spending five years haunted by unanswered questions and no identified perpetrator.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Holly Lynn Bobo with me today.
In April 2011, 20-year-old nursing student Holly Lynn Bobo disappeared from her family home in rural Darden, Tennessee, after being led into the woods by a man wearing camouflage.
Nearly three years later, partial remains were discovered in a remote area of Decatur County. The autopsy confirmed she died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
In September 2017, Zachary Adams was found guilty of kidnapping, rape and murder in Holly’s case and was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 50 years.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Georgia Williams with me today.
In May 2013, 17-year-old Georgia Williams disappeared after visiting the home of her friend, 23-year-old Jamie Reynolds, in Shropshire, England. What seemed like an innocent visit quickly turned into a premeditated murder.
Reynolds, obsessed with violent sexual fantasies, lured Georgia to his house under false pretenses, where he attacked and strangled her. He filmed part of the assault and later disposed of her body in woodland more than 100 miles away.
When police arrested him, they discovered hundreds of disturbing images, violent writings, and a detailed plan outlining Georgia’s murder. Prosecutors described the crime as “cold, calculated, and sexually motivated.”
In 2014, Jamie Reynolds pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison with a whole-life order, ensuring he will never be released.
In January 2010, 45-year-old Fiona Donnison walked into a police station in Heathfield, East Sussex, and told officers she had killed her children. Hours earlier, she had smothered her two young children, 3-year-old Harry and 2-year-old Elise, then packed their bodies into holdalls and locked them in the boot of her car.
Investigators revealed the murders were part of a calculated plan to inflict maximum pain on her former partner. Prosecutors described her as using the children as “ultimate pawns,” driven by a mix of jealousy, rage, and entitlement.
At trial, her defence argued severe depression and diminished responsibility, but the jury found her guilty of murder. In 2011 she was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 32 years in prison.
In May 2001, 30-year-old U.S. Army Captain Lynn Armstrong Reister, six months pregnant and stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, was found brutally murdered in her home: her throat deeply slashed, and her unborn child lost with her.
Investigators uncovered a chilling conspiracy: her husband Roger Reister and his brother Rodney Reister allegedly planned her killing so that Roger could avoid divorce, retain custody of their son, and benefit from life insurance proceeds. A bloody palm print at the scene matched Rodney’s.
Both brothers were eventually convicted, Roger received life in prison for solicitation of murder, and Rodney was found guilty of murder
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Marilynn Lee McClenahen with me today.
On April 15, 1990, 48-year-old Marilynn Lee McClenahen, also known as Marilynn DePue, disappeared from her home in Coldwater, Michigan, after a heated argument with her ex-husband, Dennis DePue. That afternoon, Dennis came to pick up their children, but when they refused to go with him, the situation escalated. He brutally beat Marilynn in the basement before loading her into his van and driving away.
The next day, her body was discovered off the side of a rural road, she had been shot in the back of the head. Dennis went on the run, sparking a statewide manhunt. The case gained national attention when it was featured on Unsolved Mysteries in 1991, leading to numerous tips that eventually exposed his location. When police surrounded him in Mississippi, Dennis took his own life before he could be arrested.
This case remains one of the most haunting domestic homicide stories of the early 1990s, a chilling reminder of how rage, loss, and control can end in irreversible tragedy.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Lauren Hugelmaier with me today.
In September 2017, 29-year-old Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps was found brutally murdered in her Raleigh, North Carolina home. Her husband, Matthew Phelps, called 911 claiming he “had a dream” and found her dead, with blood all over him and a knife on the bed.
The autopsy revealed Lauren had been stabbed 123 times, her body riddled with wounds to her head, neck, torso, and arms. Evidence would later show Matthew had financial conflicts and secret obsessions that fueled the violence.
At trial, Phelps pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in October 2018, foregoing the death penalty, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Shanda Renee Sharer with me today.
In January 1992, 12-year-old Shanda Renee Sharer was brutally abducted, tortured, and murdered by four teenage girls in Madison, Indiana. The crime was fueled by jealousy and rivalry, one girl believed Shanda was encroaching on her romantic relationship.
Shanda was lured under false pretenses, restrained, beaten, stabbed, and ultimately set on fire. The perpetrators left her body in a remote field; investigators believed they tried to conceal her identity by burning her face and hands.
All four assailants were charged as adults. Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett received 60-year sentences; Hope Rippey got 35 years; Toni Lawrence was sentenced to 20 years.
In 2008 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, 18-year-old Kia Johnson, who was 36 weeks pregnant, disappeared. She was later found murdered, and her unborn child was stolen from her womb. The perpetrator, Andrea Curry-Demus, had lured Kia to her apartment under false pretenses, then performed the horrific act before attempting to pass the baby off as her own. Kia’s body was discovered in Curry-Demus’s apartment.
Curry-Demus was found guilty of second-degree murder with a verdict of “guilty, mentally ill.”
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Steven Robards with me today. Dorothy Marie Robards was just 16 years old when she secretly laced her father’s dinner with barium acetate, a toxic chemical she stole from her high school chemistry lab. What seemed like a sudden heart attack in 1993 turned out to be a carefully planned murder, committed by an honor roll student who wanted only one thing, to live with her mother. For over a year, Marie Robards’ dark secret stayed buried… until a tearful confession to a friend unraveled the entire case.In this disturbing episode, we dive deep into the shocking true crime story of Marie Robards, the Texas teen who poisoned her father and nearly got away with it. We'll explore how forensic science, a preserved tissue sample, and one friend's conscience brought the truth to light. If you're interested in true crime cases involving teenage killers, parent-child murders, and chilling stories of high-achieving students turned murderers, this is a case you won’t forget.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Dawn and Richard Heikkila with me today. On January 30, 1991, Dawn and Richard Heikkila were discovered murdered after a welfare check was requested by Dawn's coworkers. Their son, Matthew Heikkila, initially told coworkers his parents had left due to a family emergency involving his brother at Dartmouth, but immediately, they were not buying it. When police entered the couple's New Jersey home, they found Dawn, a successful real estate agent, and Richard, a prominent Parkinson’s disease researcher, shot to death.. with a sawed-off shotgun and slugs that were labeled.. "Mom" and "Mom and Dad." This gruesome double murder stunned the local community and led investigators to quickly focus on the couples own son, Matthew, as the prime suspect.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Adrianne Jones with me today. In December 1995, the brutal murder of 16-year-old Adrianne Jones shocked the quiet town of Mansfield, Texas. Adrianne was a bright high school student whose life was tragically cut short when her body was discovered near Joe Pool Lake. Investigators learned she had been lured out of her home under false pretenses, beaten, and then executed with gunshots to the head. The case quickly gained national attention, not only for the heartbreaking loss of such a young life but also because of the shocking identities of her killers, Diane Zamora, a Naval Academy midshipman, and David Graham, a U.S. Air Force Academy cadet.Dubbed the “Texas Cadet Murder” case, the crime exposed a deadly love triangle fueled by jealousy, obsession, and betrayal. Zamora allegedly ordered Graham to kill Adrianne after learning of his brief romantic encounter with her. Their arrest in 1996 and subsequent murder trials captivated the media, leading to convictions that put both behind bars for life. The tragic story of Adrianne Jones continues to stand as one of Texas’ most infamous true crime cases, often featured in documentaries, news specials, and the made-for-TV film Love’s Deadly Triangle.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Lauren Landavazo with me today.
In September 2016, 13-year-old Lauren Landavazo was walking home from school in Wichita Falls, Texas, with her best friend when she was ambushed and shot multiple times. Her friend, Makayla Smith, survived the attack.
The perpetrator, 20-year-old Kody Lott, later confessed that his crime was driven by jealousy, he was upset Lauren had a boyfriend. He admitted to planning the shooting and claiming he spoke with “the devil” before carrying it out.
At trial, Lott was convicted for Lauren’s murder and also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for wounding Makayla. He was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 20 years for the assault charge.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Felicia Marie Johnson with me today. GOFUNDME for Felicia's Family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/x7jqsf-family-in-need
In April 2022, 24-year-old Felicia Johnson flew from San Diego to Houston to celebrate her birthday and look for work. After arranging a meeting via Snapchat, she vanished. Her phone and purse were later found, abandoned and bloodied, near a Houston park.
Months later, human remains discovered in the Sam Houston National Forest were confirmed by dental records to be Felicia’s. Police identified Chukwuebuka Nwobodo, 28, as the prime suspect. Evidence suggests he picked her up, killed and dismembered her in his apartment, then attempted to dispose of the body and conceal the crime.
Investigators found disturbing clues during the investigation: items like a saw, trash bags, and latex gloves in Nwobodo’s possession, Felicia’s blood in his car, and internet searches tied to violent crimes.Though he has been charged, he remains a fugitive.
In February 2008, 36-year-old father Ben Oxley was brutally murdered in his own home in Minden, Nevada. While he slept in bed next to his wife Melissa Oxley, an intruder entered the bedroom and shot him point-blank in the head with a shotgun. What made this case even more chilling was that his young daughter was also in the house that night. Melissa woke up covered in blood, but with no idea what had just happened, leaving investigators to wonder if the killer had been right beside her all along. At first, suspicion fell on Melissa and her teenage brother, who lived with them, but as detectives dug deeper, a shocking trail of evidence began to point elsewhere.The truth unraveled into a dark story of custody battles, jealousy, and deadly betrayal. Investigators discovered that Ben’s ex-wife, Dawn Oxley, and her boyfriend James Matlean had conspired to get Ben out of the picture. Matlean eventually confessed to pulling the trigger after Dawn allegedly encouraged the murder and even drew him a map of the home. In 2012, James Matlean was sentenced to life in prison without parole, while Dawn avoided murder charges by testifying against him. The case of Ben Oxley’s murder is one of the most haunting true crime stories of a father executed in his sleep, a wife under suspicion, and a family torn apart by violence.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Kaysi McLeod, LeAnn Emry, Jennifer Marcum, and Terry Kimball with me today.
Scott Kimball is a police informant turned murdered who preyed on vulnerable human beings and was responsible for the tragic deaths of Kaysi McLeod, Jennifer Marcum, LeAnn Emry, and Terry Kimball. Initially, he got a pretty lenient plea deal from the authorities, but when he failed to produce Jennifer's body (something he promises), he ended up receiving a 70-year prison sentence. Which.. was more than he bargained for. Despite claiming to be just a conman, investigators suspect he might be linked to even more unsolved murders, including those of Katrina Powell and West Mesa Bone Collector victims.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner with me today. In one of the most heartbreaking true crime cases Canada has ever seen, 13-month-old Baby Zachary Turner was murdered by his own mother, Shirley Turner, in 2003. Just two years earlier, Shirley had been accused of killing her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Andrew Bagby, after he ended their relationship. While she awaited extradition to the United States to stand trial for Andrew’s murder, Shirley was shockingly released on bail, despite clear warnings that she posed a danger. During that time, she gave birth to Zachary, Andrew’s son. Andrew’s devastated parents, David and Kathleen Bagby, moved to Canada to fight for custody of their grandson, determined to protect him. But in a horrifying twist, Shirley drugged herself and Zachary before walking into the Atlantic Ocean, committing a murder-suicide that left the Bagbys shattered and outraged the nation.The Baby Zachary case revealed devastating flaws in Canada’s bail and child protection systems, sparking nationwide outrage and demands for reform. How could a woman accused of one murder be left free long enough to kill again, this time, an innocent baby? This tragic story is immortalized in the powerful documentary Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, which began as a love letter to Andrew but ended up exposing a systemic failure that cost Zachary his life. It’s a case that forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about justice, accountability, and how many red flags can be ignored before it’s too late.