Forensic Tales

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’re likely well-versed in the benefits of slow fashion. But where do you find clothes worthy of keeping for the long haul, and what specifically should you be looking for when shopping? On today’s show we are continuing our fight against the fashion industry’s transition to single-use clothing by discussing the nuts and bolts of intentional...

#113 - On August 29, 2009, Glynn County, Georgia police received a 911 call from 22-year-old Guy Heinze Jr. He told them his entire family had been beaten to death inside their trailer home. Once authorities arrived at the trailer park, they found eight people dead. The police quickly suspected Guy Jr murdered his entire family over money and painkillers. But not everyone believes Guy Jr is guilty...

#112 - On March 6, 1959, nine-year-old Candice "Candy" Rogers disappeared while selling Camp Fire mints around her Spokane, Washington, neighborhood. Two weeks later, the police discovered her body buried in the woods. The gruesome discovery revealed that her killer kidnapped and sexually assaulted her before murdering her. Initially, the police received thousands of tips that led to sev...

When it comes to our future, climate scientists paint vastly different projections than politicians. (Think: extreme weather events, toxic air, entire nations under water, and major humanitarian conflicts over food and water.) Politicians paint much rosier pictures: electric vehicles, new industries, and better jobs, all made possible by investments into clean energy. President Joe Biden’s signatu...

Too often, conversations about reducing home toxins center themselves around replacement: Get rid of your mattress and buy a new one. Toss your plastic Tupperware and replace with glass. And that plastic shower curtain liner? It has got to go. But replacing items that are in otherwise fine working order wastes money; it wastes environmental resources, too. Today I’m speaking with environmental eng...

#111 - Lisa Marie Kimmel, 18-years-old, disappeared while driving from Denver, Colorado, to her parent's house in Billings, Montana in March 1988. On her way home, she drove her black 1988 Honda CR-X with its personalized Montana license plate, "LILMISS." One week later, a fisherman discovered her body floating in the North Platte River near Casper, Wyoming. Based on the autopsy findings...

Food waste is clearly an environmental problem: In the United States alone, Americans throw away approximately 63 million tons of food each year. Enter the ugly produce market. For-profit companies selling misshapen fruits and vegetables argue that they are saving perfectly healthy food from becoming waste. Consumers, too, who subscribe to such services believe they are acting both nobly and ethic...

Your boxes of photos, family’s china, and even your kids’ height charts aren’t just stuff. These items are attached to a lifetime of memories, and letting them go can be scary. The reality is that people don’t miss stuff. They miss the people and memories behind their stuff, and keeping certain items in the right quantities can memorialize our loved ones and their unique life stories. On today’s s...

#110- In January 2006, 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse disappeared from her condo in Orlando, Florida. Two days after she disappeared, her car was found abandoned in a nearby apartment complex. Security footage installed at the complex captured an individual seen driving and parking Jennifer's car on the day she went missing. Unfortunately, the camera didn't record a continuous video and only captured...

Decluttering is liberating, and letting go of items that no longer serve us creates space to breathe and grow. If we experience benefits from decluttering physical stuff, it stands to reason, then, that we can experience similar if not greater well-being by letting go of intangibles. Transformation comes from letting go—not from holding on tighter!— and so today’s short-and-sweet episode is about...

As consumers, we’ve been conditioned to head to the store and buy whatever we need whenever we need it. But when it comes to personal care products, making exactly what your skin needs reduces waste, empowers you to have 100% control, and fully supports your skin story. Today I speak with certified aromatherapist Emelia Kohler. Emilia’s on the show to give us the motivation and knowledge to first...

#109 - In March 1998, the Bradley family embarked on a trip of a lifetime on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas. Just a few days into the trip, 23-year-old Amy Bradley mysteriously went missing from the ship. Years after her disappearance, the Bradley family received photographs of a woman posted to an escort website that closely resembled their daughter. Despite many possible sigh...

Want Grandma’s crystal vase? How about that bedroom set that’s been sitting in your parents’ basement for decades? Generational clutter comprises All. The. Things. that your elder relatives currently possess but want to pass onto you. On today’s short-ish episode I’m answering a listener’s question on how to deal with generational clutter with grace (while still upholding your boundaries).  Here’s...

Daily life in 2022 leaves many of us busy and distracted. Life and its quiet, nameless moments of joy can pass us by if we aren’t intentional about how we spend our time. Today I speak with Reilly Flynn, co-founder and CEO of Lome Calendar. Reilly is here to give us tangible tips that capture both the intention and the expectation of the moment as we schedule our family’s free time; he also distin...

#108 - In October 2009, Bobby Jamison, his wife Sherilynn and daughter Madyson mysteriously disappeared. They left their home in Eufaula, Oklahoma to look at a 40-acre plot of land near Red Oak they considered buying. When the police were notified about their disappearance, they found the family's abandoned truck in the woods with their dog still inside. Their skeletal remains were found four year...

Many to-be parents spend hours researching cribs and car seats; only rarely do they consider all the *other* ways in which their lives are about to change. And once the baby arrives? Many new mothers report a chasm between their parenting expectations versus day-to-day reality. Today I speak with journalist and parenting expert Ericka Sóuter about the unspoken challenges of motherhood. Ericka has...

#107 - On Sunday, July 22, 2001, just three weeks before her wedding, 28-year-old Niqui McCown disappeared after doing laundry at a laundromat in Richmond, Indiana. A few months into the investigation, the police found her SUV parked at an apartment complex 40 miles away. Inside the car, they found her neatly folded laundry still inside laundry baskets. Even with two prime suspects, her case turne...

It's human nature to pursue more: More stuff. More money. More professional power. While it's certainly important to both create and reach goals in life, the mindless pursuit of more leaves many of us feeling depleted. And when we're always striving to attain the next big thing? We are effectively removing ourselves from the beauty of the present moment. On today's show I'm spe...

#106 - On March 31, 2006, 27-year-old medical student Brian Shaffer went out with friends to celebrate the Spring Break holiday from classes. Sometime around 2:00 am Brian was separated from his friends. Security cameras around the bar where Brian and his friends went captured Brian entering but never leaving. Brian Shaffer has not been seen or heard from since. How did Brian manage to leave the b...

“I want to be able to create a home that we can truly feel at-home in, but [my new husband and I] still haven’t figured out what our “style” is. How can we find our home decor style without buying & trying different items? How can we figure out our tastes and preferences without spending a bunch of money, creating waste, and/or accidentally getting swept up by what’s trendy?” It happens to the...

Veganuary — the worldwide new years resolution movement — makes plant-based living accessible while also pushing for corporate change. While proponents of the month-long challenge report that veganism can be fun, today’s guest argues that plant-based living on the large scale (which, in her view, is inevitable!) will have positive consequences for our economy, climate, health, and culture. Veganis...

#105 - One early morning in June 2007, the Vaughn family left their home to drive to a water park in Springfield, Illinois. At 5:15 am, a motorist driving on I-55 spotted Christopher Vaughn bleeding and limping away with his parked SUV. When the motorist asked if he had been in a car accident, Christopher replied, "No, I think my wife shot me." But when the police arrived on the scene, n...

If you often bump into side tables or trip over misplaced shoes you’ve likely lamented your need for more space. But staying in your existing home even though it’s imperfect has tangible benefits like greater financial savings, more free time, and less stress. On this episode I’m speaking with small living expert Melanie Gnau about how to create more livable space in your home without undergoing a...

#104 - In March 1995, Fort Worth Police officers responded to a 911 call about an apparent suicide. The caller, Warren Horinek, told first responders that his wife, Bonnie, shot and hilled herself. But when the police arrived at the house, he changed his story. Although the Fort Worth police and District Attorney's office refused to charge Warren with his wife's death, a Grand Jury indicted Warren...

Many of us think of the seaside as a relaxing place to vacation. Water sports and seafood, too, often come to mind when we think about the ways in which oceans improve our lives. But the reality is that vacations, water sports, and seafood pale in comparison to what oceans *actually* give us, which is, of course, our very existence. Today I speak with world-renowned oceanographer and National Geog...