Criminally Obsessed

Could Maggie and Paul Murdaugh’s time of death create reasonable doubt for Alex Murdaugh? As his defense prepares for a second murder trial, attorney Dick Harpootlian is signaling that the timeline of the June 2021 murders at Moselle could become a major issue.  We had to speak with an expert who could tell us how time of death is actually determined… and is there room for error?  In thi...

Is Elizabeth Siders competent to stand trial in the Ohio “House of Horrors” Case? As the Lindsay Clancy trial puts maternal mental health and criminal responsibility under a national microscope, another mother at the center of a major criminal case is facing psychological evaluation.  Elizabeth Siders, who faces 16 child endangerment charges in the Vinton County, Ohio case, has been ordered t...

What went wrong in Lindsay Clancy’s life? As the trial continues into week three, we’re breaking down the circumstances that led to the deaths of the Clancy children on January 24th, 2023, and asking the question: Was this the result of a perfect storm?  In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson speaks with criminologist and victimologist Dr. Nicky Jackson to...

Week three of the Lindsay Clancy trial: why is Patrick Clancy under fire? And is the prosecution to blame?  On day 10 of the trial, Lindsay Clancy's former mental health providers testified that they never observed signs of psychosis or heard thoughts of self-harm or harm to others, as the defense argued they may have missed indicators of severe postpartum mental illness in the months before...

Three big moments that could change everything in the Lindsay Clancy trial? This week, jurors heard emotional testimony from the Clancy family's former nanny, Elaine “Lainey” Rossi, and listened as Lindsay Clancy's private journal entries were read aloud in court. And, for the first time, we heard Lindsay herself speak.  Today’s guest has been there every day inside the courtroom, witnessing...

Lindsay Clancy Trial: Why is a forensic psychologist calling the prosecution a "witch hunt"? As the Lindsay Clancy murder trial continues in Massachusetts, the fiercest debate is no longer about what happened inside the Clancy home in Duxbury. It's about whether this case ever belonged in a criminal courtroom at all. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson speak...

Trying to take back his guilty plea: Bryan Kohberger wants another bite at the apple. After admitting under oath that he murdered four University of Idaho students in 2022 - Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin - Bryan Kohberger is asking an Idaho court to undo the guilty plea that spared him from the death penalty. After being sentenced to life in prison, he has now fi...

What does it take to be a juror in the Lindsay Clancy trial? As week two begins in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, jurors are facing one of the hardest assignments in the criminal justice system: separating heartbreaking evidence from the law. They have already heard Patrick Clancy's emotional 911 call, watched first responders struggle through testimony, and seen evidence from inside the Duxbury...

HELP FIND KEVIN: 46 years ago, 17-day-old Kevin Verville Jr. was abducted near Oceanside, California.  His family has been waiting for answers ever since. But now there may be hope. After NCMEC asked the public to share Kevin's story last year, new tips came in — and the FBI is actively following up on those leads today. But those tips alone may not be enough. In this episode of Cri...

What does postpartum psychosis actually feel like? As the Lindsay Clancy murder trial continues, jurors will hear from experts about postpartum psychosis. But there's one perspective they won’t hear, and it’s an important one - the judge ruled that women who have personally lived through postpartum psychosis cannot testify about their own experiences. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, invest...

Patrick Clancy Day 1 testimony: What was it like to watch from inside the courtroom? As the prosecution begins presenting its case in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, all eyes are on their first witness: Patrick Clancy, the father of Cora, Dawson, and Callan, and the former husband of the woman accused of killing them in 2023. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Eme...

On the ground in the Siders investigation: What did this reporter see in Vinton County, Ohio?  As the Siders family case continues to unfold, new court filings show both Gary Siders Jr. and Gary Siders Sr. have requested competency evaluations while facing charges connected to 16 children rescued from a home investigators describe as one of the worst scenes in Ohio history.  While we wai...

D4vd preliminary hearing: Is the defense already showing their hand? We’re watching in real time as prosecutors reveal new evidence in the case of musician David Anthony Burke, known professionally as D4vd, who is charged with the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez in 2025. As the Los Angeles preliminary hearing continues, we’re speaking with an expert to learn how the defense may appro...

Viewer discretion advised: This episode discusses the alleged murder of a child and details about the forensic investigation that has followed. The conversation is presented for news and educational purposes, with an informational focus on the investigative process. Javeayah Harris investigation: How do forensic investigators solve a homicide when the victim's remains have allegedly been severely...

Ohio "House of Horrors": Is Elizabeth Siders a victim, a perpetrator, or both?  One of the biggest questions surrounding the Vinton County investigation is whether Elizabeth Siders was another victim, or a monster - and what culpability looks like in the Siders family case. Our expert guest today brings up another alarming question: could the Siders family also face human trafficking charges?...

Can postpartum psychosis affect whether Lindsay Clancy is found criminally responsible for the deaths of her three children? That’s the central question in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, now beginning with jury selection in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and it’s drawing comparisons to another infamous case of a postpartum psychosis defense: Andrea Yates. Today, we’re speaking with an expert who had fi...

Could bombshell evidence exonerate convicted murderer Scott Peterson? A new A&E documentary titled “Scott Peterson: The New Evidence” reexamines the controversial true crime case through the lens of groundbreaking technology and scientific analysis. Twenty three years after the murders of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner, newly surfaced witness accounts, forensic investigation, and legal f...

Ohio "House of Horrors": How did the Siders children disappear from the system? Newly released documents reveal more details about the family before the arrests of Gary Siders Jr., Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr., and Christina Siders on Tuesday, June 30th. We wanted to speak with an expert who could help us understand how these kids remained seemingly invisible for so long. In this episode of C...

Alex Murdaugh body language breakdown: What stands out to an expert in spotting deception?  On Monday, June 29th, we watched Alex Murdaugh appear in a South Carolina courtroom for a pretrial hearing ahead of his 2027 retrial for the murders of his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and his son, Paul Murdaugh. With all eyes back on Alex, we’re asking whether his physical movements in the courtroom - like...

Gabby Petito’s family is speaking out five years after she embarked on a cross-country “van life” road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie that would change their lives forever. Gabby’s stepmother, Tara Petito, reveals new details about Gabby’s personal life, and warning signs of domestic violence that she believes could help save lives. In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative report...

How did the nightmare inside the Siders’ family home remain hidden for so long? What did neighbors and locals to the Ohio “House of Horrors” notice, if anything? Were there ANY red flags?  In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, investigative reporter Anne Emerson speaks with someone who can tell us in her own words. Someone who knew of the Siders family - even interacted with them - years be...

Psychological breakdown of Siders’ "House of Horrors": Why were 16 children forced to live this way?  As new details emerge in the Vinton County, Ohio investigation, one question continues to haunt us: WHY did four adults allegedly confine and neglect 16 children inside a filthy home for YEARS?  Gary Siders Jr., Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr., and Christina Siders were arrested on Tue...

Sixteen ‘almost feral’ children. Aged 18 months to 18 years. Hidden from sight in an Ohio house of horrors. Until now. It’s a situation difficult to fathom: Investigators found 16 kids living inside a 1,300-square-foot home in Vinton County, Ohio, confined in a 12-by-12 bedroom investigators say was covered in human waste. Gary Siders Jr., Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr., and Christina Siders we...

Alex Murdaugh retrial jury selection: How do you find an impartial jury for one of America's most well known murder cases? With Alex Murdaugh's murder retrial approaching in April 2027, one of the biggest challenges may come before opening statements are ever delivered. After jury influencing led to his original 2023 murder convictions of Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh being overturned, selecti...

Nancy Guthrie ransom notes: How does the FBI determine whether they're real or fake? Five months after Today show host Savannah Guthrie's mother disappeared from her Tucson, Arizona home, the mysterious letters claiming to be from her kidnappers remain one of the most controversial pieces of evidence in the investigation. Despite reports suggesting the ransom notes were fake, the FBI and Pima Coun...