Method & Madness

April 15th, 2025 Update: Enci ‘Aubrey’ Wu has been found safe! More details to come. Enci Wu, who goes by Aubrey, is a 14-year-old girl who went missing in January 2025 from her Palmer Township, PA home. Her family is desperately trying to find her.  Authorities have classified her as a runaway, but her parents do not believe she left willingly. They fear that she may be the victim of human traffi...

Months went by and a 14-year-old's disappearance got little media attention.  23 years later, one woman is ensuring this story isn't forgotten. High School freshman Danielle Bell went to a party on the evening of September 28th, 2001 in Cantonment, Florida.  It was the last time the 14-year-old was ever seen. Her loved ones describe her as “a stranger to nobody”.  When she didn’t return home that...

A day meant to honor and celebrate mothers became a moment of cruelty for a childless woman. On October 16, 2016 police in Bella Vista were called to a bloody scene outside a residence. Piecing together what had happened that night was looking simple enough; multiple witnesses, one man dead, a suspect in custody- case solved, right? Not quite. This is the unbelievable true story of “Higui” Eva Ana...

Two cases are discussed today, both involving sensitive topics about child sexual abuse. Please listen with care. His message to her read “I made a vow to you that in sickness and in health I would always be with you.” It’s not a romantic notion sent from one loving spouse to another, but rather - a real-life message sent from an adult male to a child.  A Roblox developer known as “Doc” and a grou...

4-year-old Dorothy Good was taken into custody by the Marshalls’ deputy on March 24th,1692. She was questioned in court briefly and sent to jail. She spent her “sentence” in a dark, grim dungeon after being convicted of witchcraft. This is her story. ____________________________________ Method & Madness is researched, written, hosted, & produced by Dawn Cate Music by Tymur Khakimov from Pi...

Buckle up for an in-depth conversation with Othram’s Dr. Kristen Mittelman. We delve into the fascinating world of genetic genealogy and how it’s revolutionizing the way we solve cold cases. Dr. Mittelman shares insights on the science behind DNA analysis, how Othram is building the infrastructure and metrics for all labs to use this technology,  the challenges faced in cold case investigations, a...

It wasn’t like 21-year-old Romona Moore to run off. Nobody knew that better than her mom, Ellie Carmichael.  In April of 2003, Romona left the Brooklyn home she shared with her mother and said she was heading to Burger King to grab dinner. She never returned. It took days of pleading for Ellie to get the NYPD to take Romona’s disappearance seriously. By the time detectives began looking, it was to...

In July of 1972, residents in the Tacony neighborhood of Philadelphia witnessed a violent abduction right outside their homes.  Nobody called the police. The next morning, 17-year-old Dolores Della Penna was confirmed missing and her family was sick with worry.  Law enforcement canvassed the area and interviewed more than 100 people as the city of brotherly love offered their support to the heartb...

In November of 1979, the body of a female was found in a cornfield in the village of Caledonia, New York. She had been shot twice. With no identification on her and no missing persons reports matching her description, her identity was a mystery. She became known as Caledonia Jane Doe. Over the next 3 decades, thousands of tips came in but nothing that provided answers. Then one day, a woman took t...

In this bonus episode, Method & Madness presents an episode from the podcast "Unforbidden Truth".  On this week's episode, Andrew speaks with deceased serial killer, Billy Chemirmir. Billy Chemirmir is a Kenyan-American convicted serial killer known for his crimes in the United States. Born in Kenya in 1969, Chemirmir immigrated to the U.S. in the early 2000s. He gained notoriety for a series...

Welcome to Hot Pursuit, a summer true-crime collaboration, where we dive deep into the world of true crime. We’ve gathered many incredible true-crime podcasters to bring you a multi-part series that’s all about the heat of the chase. We'll explore cases where justice was relentlessly pursued, delve into crimes that occurred during the scorching summer months, and highlight cold cases that desperat...

Welcome to Hot Pursuit, a summer true-crime collaboration, where we dive deep into the world of true crime. We’ve gathered many incredible true-crime podcasters to bring you a multi-part series that’s all about the heat of the chase. We'll explore cases where justice was relentlessly pursued, delve into crimes that occurred during the scorching summer months, and highlight cold cases that desperat...

Today we’re headed to New York City, where in May of 2022, 33-year-old John Umberger walked out of the townhome where he was staying - and headed to dinner with some friends. John, the social creature he was, met with more friends at a rooftop bar.  After midnight, John made his last stop;  the Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood.  After leaving the Q, nobody heard from...

She was unknown to those who loved her, for 40 years. It’s 1982 in Blairstown, NJ - a quaint town with an old-timey feel, its residents were rocked upon the discovery of a murder victim in the local cemetery. The lead investigator Eric Kranz said “I’ll worry about the murder later on. My main concern is finding out who she is.” He was tired of writing “Jane Doe”, so, she was named “Princess Doe”....

Cult leaders, parents, spouses, ex-partners…narcissistic abuse can affect any of us. But what are some of the signs we’re under a narcissist’s spell? Today’s guest is Vanessa Reiser, a psychotherapist, author & narcissistic abuse survivor. She recently stopped by to chat with Dawn about how to detect if you're in an abusive relationship, why cults and narcissistic abuse go hand-in-hand, and wh...

It’s an important question. Why was she targeted?  26-year-old Fong Hiu-Tung 方曉彤 and 22-year-old Lau Kai-Hei 劉繼禧 were shopping at the Hollywood Plaza Mall in Diamond Hill on June 2nd, 2023. Without warning, they became victims of a horrific attack that prompted a discussion of hate crimes and erasure in LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.    This episode contains graphic descriptions of murder. Pl...

Eric Nelams was on his way to work one morning in 2003. He walked out of his house and headed toward his car, but the peaceful morning routine was shattered by the sound of gunshots.  After Eric’s murder, his family was thrown into a long painful journey of profound loss, while searching for answers.  Questions swirled about the motive behind the senseless act, and speculation ran rampant about wh...

“All my mom could think about while this was happening, was to get his DNA under her nails. Because she thought he was going to kill her that night.” After years of being terrorized by her abusive boyfriend, 53-year-old Lori McConnell made a plan and left him in June of 2018. She asked her daughter Lora to promise to make some noise if anything ever happened.  Emerson “John” Tohafjian made it clea...

Deverrie Schiller was 23 years old when she left her home for the final time. She was only walking to the store with a friend and was supposed to be back shortly. Instead, Deverrie’s mother Debi received a knock at the door the next day. Nothing would ever be the same. Debi would never be the same. And she would dedicate her life to making sure that her daughter’s murderer was brought to justice;...

33-year-old Jared McColloch drove over 500 miles north from his home in Louisiana on November 4th, 2023. He arrived in Salem, Illinois at 1:38 AM the next day and stopped for gas at a local convenience store.  According to Jared's ex-girlfriend, the two were supposed to meet up and then visit their teenage son later that day. The following day, a local citizen called the police to report an abando...

It was the middle of the night in Junction City, OR when residents on Laurel Street were awakened to the sounds of screaming. Outside, a young woman was struggling with a man before being forced into his car. Minutes later, an explosion heard down the road would lead first responders to something unsettling.   A double homicide in the small farming town was unheard of. Who killed Julie & Terry...

In the fall of 2006, 2 women were out for a walk in the Atlantic City, NJ area when they came across a disturbing scene. It was the body of a woman, lying face down in a ditch. Police responded and found an even more gruesome discovery- there wasn’t just one body, but 4 lying in that ditch. Was there a serial killer in Atlantic City?    Investigators have had their work cut out for them, as they’v...

In honor of Kristin's birthday, I am re-releasing the first episode in the 9-part series on her case. Thank you for listening.   The entire series on Kristin's case is available here: Kristin O'Connell — Method & Madness Podcast (methodandmadnesspodcast.com) 20-year-old Kristin O’Connell was beautiful, bright, and adored. In the summer of 1985, she was brutally murdered while visiting a friend...

In August of 1963, a brutal murder occurred in an unlikely setting. In the idyllic, seaside community of Spring Lake, NJ - the wealthiest of Philadelphia & New York City summered in spacious estates, walked the quiet beach, and grabbed lunch at the local luncheonette. One resident, 65-year-old Lucy Grez was sitting down to watch TV at 7 pm when a trio of masked intruders entered her home. Lucy...

This is Part 2 of Morgan’s story. Please listen to Episode 74 first.   In Part 2 of Morgan’s story, we hear more from Steve & Renee Patten and from Phil Brandon. 24-year-old Morgan Patten planned to spend Veteran’s Day weekend with her fiance, Phil - a Marine, stationed at Camp Geiger in North Carolina. Morgan traveled from her home in Massachusetts down to North Carolina on November 8th, 2019...