Criminology

In our annual Halloween episode, we discuss Dennis Depue, the inspiration for the creature in Jeepers Creepers. Like Depue, there have been many real-life cold-blooded killers who have inspired horror movies. These include Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, Gary Heidnik, John Wayne Gacy, and Ronald Defeo Jr., to name a few. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Dennis Depue, a man who blamed his ex-wife for all his...

Tristan Redman is a journalist who doesn't believe in ghosts. But weird things happened in his teenage bedroom – weirder than normal. When, years later, he discovers subsequent occupants of his family home say they have been visited by the ghost of a faceless woman, he's curious. It just so happens that the house Tristan grew up in is right next door to the house where his wife's great-grandmother...

In 1978, five men disappeared in Northern California. Although some of their remains were eventually found, it only led to a more profound mystery, more questions, and countless theories about what happened to this group of men who've come to be known as the Yuba County Five. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss The Yuba County Five. Jack Huett, Ted Weiher, Bill Sterling, Jack Madruga, and Gary Math...

Timothy Bliefnick murdered his wife Rebecca after appearing on the game show The Family Feud. The murder occurred a couple of years later, but one answer Timothy gave on the show was very telling. It provided a glimpse into the marriage and foreshadowed its ending. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Timothy Bliefnick, who has been called The Family Feud killer. Tim and Rebecca had three children,...

In 1980, Charles and Catherine Romer disappeared on their way from Florida back home to New York. The Romers were snowbirds finishing the winter in Florida and heading back home. The police know they arrived at the Holiday Inn in Brunswick City, GA, to check-in. Housekeeping alerted management after it looked like the room had not been slept in for several days, and the Romers were due to have alr...

In the 1990s, a series of murders rocked Perth, Western Australia. They became known as the Claremont serial killings. The murders rocked the area to the point that people were afraid to leave their homes. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the Claremont Killer. This serial killer went unidentified for twenty years. In the end, it was good old-fashioned detective work that cracked the case. Advanc...

On February 21st, 2001, 22-year-old Ashley Ellerin was stabbed to death in her Los Angeles home. The tabloids covered the murder because actor Ashton Kutcher was set to have a first date with Ashley that night. He ran late at a Grammy's party, and he said that by the time he got to Ashley's house, she didn't answer the door. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murders committed by the Hollywood...

On September 11, 2001, the United States was rocked by terrorism and terrible loss of life. In the chaos of the day's events, a murder and a disappearance unfolded that remain unsolved. Mystery surrounds both cases. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murder of Henryk Siwiak and the disappearance of Dr. Sneha Ann Phillip. Henry was a Polish immigrant working hard to feed himself and send money...

Lucy Letby is one of England's most notorious female killers. In 2015, infants began dying in the NICU at an alarming rate at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester, Chesire, England. It was like nothing the hospital had experienced before or since. Nurse Lucy Letby was making infants sick, and many of them died. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the notorious Lucy Letby. Even though people...

The 1994 murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman turned into the trial of the century. The murders were brutal and heartbreaking. But, the fact that Nicole Brown was married to famed football star O.J. Simpson drew massive media attention to the murders. Everything exploded when police began to zero in on O.J. as the possible murderer. Join Mike and Morf for part 2 of 2 on the murders of Nicole...

The 1994 murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman turned into the trial of the century. The murders were brutal and heartbreaking. But, the fact that Nicole Brown was married to famed football star O.J. Simpson drew massive media attention to the murders. Everything exploded when police began to zero in on O.J. as the possible murderer. Join Mike and Morf for part 1 of 2 on the murders of Nicole...

In 2016, eight members of the Rhoden family were murdered at multiple residences. The crime scenes were all discovered on the same day, April 22nd, 2016. These murders shocked the residents of Pike County, which is in a rural part of Ohio. They also drew the attention of online sleuths who poured over the details of the murders while awaiting the murders to be solved. Join Mike and Morf as they di...

In the winter of 2015, 19-year-old Katelin Akens flew from Arizona back home to Virginia to visit family. She was excited because her sister Gabi had given birth to a baby boy named Landon. Katelin also caught up with some friends, and one encounter turned intimate even though Kateline had a fiancé waiting for her back in Arizona.  Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearance of Kateline A...

Someone has been arrested in the 1993 abduction and murder of 12-year-old Jennifer Odom. Jennifer went missing after getting off the school bus near her Saint Joseph, Florida home. The only real lead that police had to go on was the sighting of a light blue pickup truck that people saw following Jennifer that day. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murder of Jennifer Odom and the identificatio...

H.H. Holmes is often referred to as America's first serial killer. He became fascinated as a child with death and later studied medicine in college. Holmes didn't make all of his money legally. He used arson to con insurance companies and cadavers to collect life insurance. It seems that he began killing mainly to cover up his crimes. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the infamous H.H. Holmes. Ho...

On Friday, July 14th, 2023, 59-year-old Rex Andrew Heuermann was arrested for several unsolved murders. Heuermann has so far been charged with three murders. But, these murders are part of a cold case or a set of cold cases commonly referred to as the Gilgo Beach murders, the Long Island Serial Killer, or LISK for short. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss this breaking news on what has been a high...

Leon Benson spent 24 years in an Indiana state prison for the 1998 murder of a young man named Kasey Schoen. His conviction hinged on the testimony of two eyewitnesses – but what if their memories turned out to be wrong? And what if the people who knew what really happened had never been allowed to speak? Suspect Season 3: Five Shots in the Dark is the story of two victims: one murdered, one sente...

In 2019, Elizabeth Barraza was gunned down in front of her home in the early morning of January 25th. The whole thing was captured on the Barraza's doorbell camera with audio and video. Despite this, there have been no arrests in the case. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the brazen murder of Elizabeth Barraza. Elizabeth was holding a garage sale that morning and was setting up when the killer a...

Steven Pladl murdered his wife, Katie, their son Bennett, and Katie's father, Anthony Fusco. This story made the headlines because Katie was not just Steven's second wife; she was also his biological daughter. Steven and his first wife, Alyssa, put Katie up for adoption when she was just a baby. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Steven Pladl and the murders he committed. Steven had a horrible tem...

In 2017, Alisa Summers and her five children went through a harrowing ordeal. What made it even worse was that the entire thing was set into motion and then perpetrated by Alisa's husband, Trevor Summers. The two had been married for 15 years but were going through a divorce. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss Trevor Summers and the crimes he committed against his wife and children. Trevor had bec...

In 2015, Tiffany Valiante died in what many consider to be a very mysterious way. Just after 11:00 PM, Tiffany was struck by a train and killed in Southern New Jersey. The authorities ruled it a suicide, but Tiffany's family does not believe that to be true. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious death of Tiffany Valiante. Tiffany had graduated from high school and was set to attend col...

In this episode, we discuss how forensics played a pivotal role in various cases. In the case of Vincent Brothers, Entomology was the key to figuring out who really killed Vincent's family. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss some interesting aspects of the world of forensics in fighting crime. In the case of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, forensic ecology and botany were used fascinatingly to na...

In July 2021, 50 yr old Bart Halderson and his 53 yr old wife Krista Halderson of Windsor, Wisconsin, disappeared. They were later found murdered. People who knew them were shocked that anyone would want to hurt the couple. But they were even more shocked to find out who was responsible. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murders of Bart and Krista Halderson. Together they had two adult sons w...

In 1974, 14-year-old Margaret Fox disappeared in New Jersey. She was set to meet a man named John Marshall, who was looking for someone to watch his 5-year-old son. This man had responded to an ad that Margaret and her cousin Lynne had placed in the paper. Margaret made it to the bus stop where this man was supposed to pick her up, but she was never heard from or seen again. Join Mike and Morf as...

11-year-old Gannon Stauch went missing in 2020 in Colorado. His stepmother, Leticia, was the last person known to have seen him, and as the community searched for Gannon, they also offered support to Leticia. But, she told a number of different stories to the authorities that made them suspicious of her. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the disappearance and murder of Gannon Stauch. Leticia's st...