Buried Bylines

In this episode, we’re bringing you some CRAZY headlines from the current news world. We have bed bugs busting a bad business, we have a creepy drone stalker, and last but not least, an update that could help you save some money at the grocery store. We recorded in person for the first time in a MINUTE so things are sure to go off the rails. (And they do.) Plus, you can learn some extra fun, fun f...

We're going BIG for our 50th episode! This week we're diving into the history and lore of one of the country's most infamous gangsters (and Hoosier native) John Dillinger. There's no one better to join us for this conversation than former broadcast news reporter, Joe Melillo. Joe has formed a team of investigators and journalists who are on a mission to exhume John Dillinger's...

Today's episode is a cold case from Mallory's hometown of Lansing, Michigan... suggested by her 15-year-old, true crime-loving cousin. Thanks so much for the suggestion! 41-year-old Bernita White was shot and killed outside of the Potter Park Zoo. To make things even worse, it was in front of her 5-year-old daughter. This shooting sets the public into a panic, especially after police revea...

How can a known Hollywood actor go missing and receive little to no media attention until his body is discovered over a week later? We have THOUGHTS and OPINIONS. Cole Brings Plenty caught his big break when he was cast in the Yellowstone spin-off "1923". The 27-year-old was a member of the Mnicouju Lakota tribe; his Native American roots and beliefs play a big part in the investigation...

We're trying something a little different for this episode! This week, we've selected three current news stories to tell you about. We have been tossing around the idea of starting a Patreon in which we would post bonus episodes on the podcast's off week. One idea we had was to pick a few news stories of the week and talk about them! Please let us know if you like it, or would be interested in sub...

It's safe to say we felt like we were holding pitchforks this ENTIRE episode. Every case we cover is tragic, but it truly hits different knowing the justice system failed this woman in the worst way. In December 2022, Julie Yow was living in Columbus, Indiana and expecting her third child. However, she was under extreme stress and living in fear daily. Julie was denied a protective order again...

**Trigger Warning: Sexual assault, incest, child murder and abuse** We say this every episode... but BUCKLE UP! This case is truly something you won't forget about. Our guest, Dr. Martin Smith-Rodden, is a professional visual journalist with over 30 years of experience, a professor at Ball State University, and has a Ph. D. in Applied Experimental Psychology. (The very first doctor to appear a...

This entire episode is a rollercoaster so BUCKLE UP. Megan decided she wanted to bamboozle Mallory with an April Fool's Day prank, which doesn't seem fair considering we recorded this episode two weeks in advance and Mallory was left with no defense. (Can you guess who is writing up this week's synopsis?) HOWEVER, the prank case is based on a real-life case that we do dive into so stic...

We have some new listeners thanks to our recent appearance on IndyNow. Welcome! We thought it would be a good time to do a Q & A. We got a variety of questions... including what it's like to work in a newsroom and cover these cases. So listen as we divulge our deep, dark secrets. (Not really. Just our Hogwarts houses and stuff...). This week also marks ONE YEAR since we started the podcast! Th...

Have you ever scanned the shelves of a grocery or department store looking for deals... but when you get to the checkout counter everything rings up as more than you expected? You're not going crazy. This is a tactic many stores use called bait and switch pricing. There are dozens of lawsuits because of it and we will explain how they do it and how you can protect your wallet. SOURCES: https:/...

During the late evening hours of June 17, 2002, Nancy Lyons's red Nissan was discovered abandoned on a country road in Rush County, Indiana. The car was running, the trunk was open, and the left rear tire was flat. Four months later, her skeletal remains were discovered in a soybean field in Bartholomew county. What happened to Nancy? Listen now to hear more about her case. SOURCES: https://ww...

In late February of 1995, the small town of Homosassa, Florida was sent into a panic after 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford disappeared from the comfort of her home in the middle of the night. For days, police, neighbors, and media set up camp in the community searching for the third grader all while she was being hidden less than 100 feet away from her house. By the time officials cracked the case it...

This episode's case is a listener suggestion out of Colfax, Indiana! Keep those suggestions coming! 24-year-old Brandy Wilson seemingly disappeared into thin air in June of 2002. Her purse and car were still at home. The only thing missing was Brandy. In this case, we'll discuss who police think may be responsible... who has been charged with murder before. We'll also dive into the inf...

New year, same podcast! We're ringing in 2024 with a case out of Anchorage, Alaska. 20-year-old Brandon Irlmeier was found beaten, strangled, and shot to death at the bottom of a stairwell. Six years later, his case is still unsolved. Brandon's murder is just one of more than 2,400 unsolved cases involving murdered and missing Alaska Natives in Alaska. It's a true Buried Byline. So we&...

First of all, Merry Christmas to those that celebrate the holiday! We are so excited to give you the gift of a new episode. Today's case covers the murder of 23-year-old Lynda McDaniel by the person that has been dubbed in the Indianapolis press as 'The Christmas Ribbon Killer." This case is unsolved to this day. Through our research, we've discovered this story is a true 'bur...

We are freaking out guys!!! 1.) Megan is BACK. 2.) There could be an active serial killer in the greater Portland, Oregon area. Our story starts with the murder of 32-year-old Joanna Speaks. We were alerted about this case thanks to the amazing online community on the I Think Not! Podcast page. (Check them out if you haven't already!) Megan's research into Joanna's case quickly spirale...

Since 1963, 16 people have been sentenced to death and executed by the United States Federal Government. All 16 of those inmates were put to death at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. In 2019, The U.S. Government announced a moratorium on federal executions would end for the first in 17 years. As a result, 13 death row prisoners received lethal injection between July of 2020 and Janua...

Guys, it's time to talk about the elephant in the room. Or I guess the elephant in the WOMB. If you’re reading this, Megan was induced early and has had her baby boy! The podcast posting plan is up in the air with baby Bennett’s arrival BUT we promise to still crank out content even if it means a few weeks of solo episodes for Mal. We just wanted to have an open and honest conversation with everyo...

SOMEBODY GET KEITH MORRISON ON THE PHONE! This case is an episode of Dateline in the making. Megan takes a deep dive into a listener suggestion on a missing persons case in Muncie, Indiana a.k.a our college stomping grounds. A 27-year-old mother of three, Ashley Morris Mullis, was last seen by family and friends in September of 2013. No one has made contact with her since. There was little to no m...

We have one more spooky episode for the Halloween season. We're bringing you 10 of the most haunted hangouts in the Hoosier state! You might have heard of a few of them... and some even have true crime-related origins. As former journalists do, we're breaking down facts versus fiction in these tales of local lore. Plus, Mallory tells us about one local legend in her hometown in Michigan that traum...

We're back with another Spooky Season episode and this time we're going international! At the height of the Second World War, four young boys in the U.K. went into the woods looking for bird's eggs. Instead, they were met with an unforgettable and terrifying discovery. A human skull was hidden inside the hollow trunk of a wych elm. To this day, the woman killed and placed inside the tr...

It's officially spoooky season! In this episode, we discuss what has been called one of the most haunted houses in Indiana. Here's the catch... no one knew it was haunted until over 100 years after it was built. It all started when a photographer with the Indianapolis Star snapped a photo of a historic house being moved to a new location. That photographer, many people believe, captured th...

In June of 2018, 20-year-old Melissa Runnels was shot to death, set on fire, and left behind an abandoned Indianapolis home. Five years have passed since her brutal murder but her case remains unsolved. This week we discuss the case with FOX59 & CBS4 Anchor and Reporter, Jenny Dreasler. We also had the pleasure of speaking to Melissa's mother, Barbara Harvey, who reached out to Megan about...

Time for another Indiana Cold Case! 11-year-old Brandie Peltz was found dead in her home floating face down in a bathtub full of water. An upstairs bedroom of the residence was set on fire. The cause of death was strangulation. The victim was found by a passerby who noticed the second story of the residence on fire and stopped to see if anyone was inside. To this day, no one knows what truly happe...

GUYS! This is by far the biggest crime case in Indiana that you've never heard of. On Valentine's Day in 1977, four men broke into a small Parke County mobile home, to carry out the heinous thrill killings now known as the Hollandsburg Massacre. Betty Jane Spencer was forced to lie on the ground next to four of her children as the men fired shots into their bodies. Spencer somehow managed...