Criminology

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...

In 1980, wife and mother Betty Gore was murdered in Texas. It was an especially brutal murder caused by many blows from an axe. Initially, police believed that it must have been a man who murdered Betty because of the vicious nature of the crime. But, the evidence started to point to a woman. The sensational nature of the case has led to numerous television series over the years. Join Mike and Mor...

On September 10th, 1988, Cynthia and David Dowaliby woke up to find their daughter Jaclyn missing from the house. The local police, as well as the FBI, started an investigation. They originally thought that the Dowalibys might receive a ransom demand from a kidnapper. But, suspicion soon turned to David and Cynthia. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the case of Jaclyn Dowaliby. Sadly, 7-year-old...

In March 2011, two women who worked at a Lululemon store were attacked, and one was killed. Police arrived to find 30-year-old Jayna Murray dead, with over 300 injuries, and 29-year-old Brittany Norwood wounded but still alive. Police found size 14 bloody shoe prints around the store, and the money was missing from the safe. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss what has become known as the Lululemon...

Scott Peterson became one of the most despised criminals ever after being convicted of the murder of his wife and unborn child. Just before Christmas in 2002, 27-year-old Lacie Peterson, who was 33 weeks pregnant with a boy they planned to name Conner, vanished. Less than a month after she vanished, both Lacie's and Conner's bodies were found after they washed ashore. It didn't take long for polic...

On February 20th, 1983, 51-year-old Helen Sebastian left her home in Racine, Wisconsin, and was never seen alive again. She told her mother that she was going to a friend's house to play cards. Over a month later, parts of her dismembered body were found around the Racine area. The question that the police and loved ones asked themselves was who would want to hurt Helen and why? Join Mike and Morf...

On May 9th, 2021, Mother's Day, the Bailey family woke up to find their 13-year-old daughter Tristyn Bailey missing. It appeared as though she had not slept in her bed the night before. They quickly called the police, who began to search for Tristyn. A jogger happened upon her body near a retention pond in St. Johns, Florida, later that day. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the murder of Tristyn...

On July 20th, 1971, the body of 24-year-old Rita Curran was found in the bedroom of her Burlington, Vermont, apartment. Her body was discovered by one of her roommates. Rita was a highly regarded teacher at Milton Elementary School, and her murder rocked the community. It caused residents to start locking their doors and to run out and buy extra security measures. Join Mike and Morf as they discus...

In 1946, an unidentified person dubbed "The Phantom of Texarkana" committed a series of murders and attacks. They began in Texarkana, Texas, and culminated in Texarkana, Arkansas. These murders terrified the area and caused residents to buy guns and begin locking their doors. Were all of these murders committed by the same person or were there multiple killers roaming the area? Join Mike and Morf...

In 1985, 8-year-old Nicole Morin mysteriously vanished from her apartment building in Toronto. She was set to meet a friend in the lobby to go to the pool but never made it. The friend talked to Nicole on the intercom system and waited for her to come down. After a period of time, she buzzed Nicole's apartment, asking her mother where she was. Join Mike and Morf as they discuss the mysterious disa...

In Mattoon, Illinois, in the mid-1940s, many people claimed they were made sick by a chemical pumped or sprayed into their homes as a gas. The gasser, or the person people imagined was the gasser, was given several monikers, including "the Mad Gasser of Mattoon" Or "The Phantom Anesthetist." Join Mike and Morf as they discuss this mysterious case of the alleged Mad Gasser of Mattoon. No physical e...