Forensic Tales

#076 - On Mondays, Sherri usually woke up excited to go to work. She was incredibly successful. A young Director of Nursing, a newlywed to the man of her dreams, living the perfect life. But this morning was different. Sherri was scheduled to give a speech. She hated speeches. Her husband kissed her good-bye. Sherri sat alone, debating, contemplating when she was attacked. In her bedroom? Support...

Palm oil: Ever hear of it? Imports of the stuff to the United States have risen a whopping 263% in the last 15 years and, these days, it’s in our toothpaste, our shampoo, our pet’s food, our makeup, and more. Palm oil is in nearly everything, and its cultivation has dire consequences for our planet. This week, I speak with award-winning journalist and author Jocelyn Zuckerman. Jocelyn traveled to...

#075 -  Amityville, Long Island is a quaint little town. Not much happens. Everybody knows each other by name—the perfect place to raise a family. On November 13th, 1974, police sirens pierce the quietness. Startled neighbors scramble to the home of their friends. They watch in horror as police pull one body bag. Then another, and another, and another, and still there’s more… Support My Work If yo...

Sustainable toys provide countless benefits to both children and the planet yet, still, finding such toys can be difficult. What, exactly, makes a toy sustainable? Are wooden toys (ahem … Melissa & Doug) considered eco-friendly simply because they are made of wood? These days, most toys are made of plastics; stuffed animals and dolls are also made of artificial (read: plastic) fibers. Through...

#074 - On December 11th, 2010, a police officer and his trusty dog were on a routine training exercise along Ocean Parkway in Long Island. The dog stopped to sniff a little longer than usual. The police officer also recognized the god-awful smell—the stench of death. A young female’s bare-bones found inside a burlap sack. Within a couple weeks, more female dismembered bodies were found—first one,...

How To Be Happy In A Small Home   Choosing to live in a small home is one of the most basic ways we can both reduce our carbon footprints and curb unnecessary spending. Indeed, while living small (not necessarily tiny!) is the epitome of sustainable minimalism, it can be difficult to intentionally embrace less square footage in a culture that suggests bigger is best. It’s a real conundrum: We reve...

#073 - Hae Min Lee. The murder that started an industry trend. Thousands of listeners, thousands of opinions. One innocent girl dead. One man in jail. Did the forensics get it right? It’s time to find out. Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patre...

When humans solve problems, we often overlook an incredibly powerful option: Subtraction. We add baskets and bins to fix organizational issues within the home. We buy new clothes when we find ourselves frustrated with our wardrobes. In correspondence, we get loquacious in efforts of making our points. In design fields, we add elements to improve “flow”. In short, addition rules. But intentional su...

#072 - On January 13, 2010, 34-year old single mother Jarmecca Yvonne "Nikki" Whitehead was found dead inside her Georgia home. She had been stabbed over 80 times by her killer.  Her murder appeared to be a crime of passion. Could forensic science help identify her killer? Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a...

The Circular Economy’s Benefits for You and Me   ** Like this show? Want to help it grow? Please leave it a quick review on Apple Podcasts, and thank you! **    Our “take-make-waste” economy has cost consumers billions of dollars and has cheated us out of an inhabitable planet.  But it doesn’t have to be this way: embracing a circular economy will save taxpayer money, preserve resources, and lead...

Finding your Minimalist Mindset   It’s often the case that we are our own worst enemies. It’s easy to fall back into old habits and old ways of thinking—it’s too easy, in fact, to revert to what we’ve always done. Indeed, in my capacity as host of this podcast, I often hear the same struggle from you, my listeners: it’s really darn hard to both find and maintain your minimalist mindset for the lon...

#071 - July 14, 1984 was just another peaceful summer day in Southern California. The perfect atmosphere for a frosty Mc Donald’s ice cream sundae.  Aww, Micky Dees. America’s classic burger joint. Three little friends cracked their piggy banks open. And rode their bikes to enjoy their favorite treat at their favorite place. As the kids ride into Mc Donald's, three gunshots rang out. The 11-year-o...

Tips for an organized home with kids   Staying on top of tidiness can be stress-inducing, time-sucking, and never-ending. If it seems as though your home never looks or feels the way you want it, know that maintaining an organized space with kids is hard work, but it’s possible. This week, I speak with professional organizer Elise Hay. Elise believes there’s only one way to have a tidy home with c...

#070 - On February 10, 1990, two gunman stormed Las Cruces Bowl in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Once inside, the men shot seven hostages execution style. Following the massacre, five people were dead and two seriously injured. To this day, the Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre remains unsolved. If you think you know anything about who these two gunmen are, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-847...

Pop Culture and the Environmental Movement Today   In recent years, pop culture has raised important questions about the environmental movement today, and people are listening. Because while it can be easy to dissociate from media coverage surrounding global warming, climate change, and environmental racism, it’s much harder to do so when pop culture pushes the narrative. The relationship between...

#069 - Your phone rings in the middle of the night.. A single drop of cold sweat slides down your back. A yucky feeling in the pit of your stomach tells you. Something’s wrong. Very wrong. Your daughter’s in trouble. You frantically call 9-1-1. The police tell you to calm down and call back? Minutes grow into hours and hours turn into days. Your daughter’s missing. And the police have no interest...

Minimalist beauty for the conscious consumer   Toner, exfoliant, emulsion, eye cream, and that’s all before breakfast: The average woman uses 12 beauty products each and every day. But are these products actually necessary? What are the benefits to a minimalist beauty routine, and how do you start simplifying your existing one? On today’s show we are applying the tenets of sustainable minimalism t...

It isn’t hyperbole: Technology is in many ways taking over our daily lives. Research has found that children spend 1200 hours per year on technological devices. And adults? We waste approximately 6200 hours a year—or up to a staggering equivalent of  44 years  of our lives—staring at screens. In this era of technological-everything, is digital minimalism even possible? On today’s show I speak with...

#068 - After a hard day fighting crime,  Michael Franke walked to his car in the night’s shadow. His footsteps echoed in the empty lot. Michael possessed an incredible work ethic. Coupled with a burning desire for positive change. A modern-day superhero. As Michael opened his car door, horror struck.  An attacker pierced a knife through our champion’s heart. The Director of the Department of Corre...

Becoming a Zero Waste Chef   The daily habits zero waste chefs rely on to reduce food and packaging waste can seem daunting to the rest of us, to say the least. But in the era of meal delivery kits and takeout culture, cooking from scratch and ensuring nothing gets wasted may indeed be self-sufficient skills that consumers are in danger of losing. On today’s episode, Anne-Marie Bonneau, better kno...

The benefits of 1000 hours outside   Most of us understand intuitively that spending time outdoors – 1000 hours outside, in fact! –  is important. But what does science say about the role of nature in our lives? How can we make the outdoors a staple of our children’s childhoods without tears? The 1000 Hours Outside campaign seeks to match nature time with screen time, and that’s because kids spend...

#067 - Christmas time, the most wonderful time of the year. Children laugh. Families bond. Christmas joy lives everywhere. Everywhere, except Fort Worth Texas. Two days before Christmas, three innocent girls went shopping at the mall, then mysteriously disappeared. No clues. No suspects. Nothing. Could forensics give Christmas back to the families? Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest...

Sustainable Consumption for you and me Sustainable Minimalism (the book!) is available as an e-book, audiobook, and paperback now, and it dives *far deeper* into the topics we discuss on this podcast. Thank you for supporting my work!   Sustainable consumption is confusing. What does it mean to be an intentional eco-consumer, exactly, and how does the identity differ from being a conscious one? Th...

#066 - In a Georgetown cemetery, a young, unidentified female was buried. No family, no services, and no speeches. Nobody knew anything about her. Except she was dead. Her grave read: "Tent Girl. Found May 17th, 1968." The horrific tragedy told and retold by the town's community. A determined young man was captivated by this heartbreaking story. How could she be buried with no name? Our...

Environmentally Friendly Parenting that’s Good Enough   Parents are tired. So tired, in fact, that adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle may seem impossible. But the goal is progress—not perfection!—and so this week’s show is dedicated to parents who want to do better but don’t want to completely upend their lives. Today I am speaking with Stace Dixon and Taylor Shearer of DYPER. Together...