Homicide Files Unsealed

This source details the horrific 1997 crime spree of Paul Dennis Reid, a serial killer known as the "Nashville Fast Food Killer" who targeted employees at several restaurants. The narrative recounts the brutal murders at a Captain D's, a McDonald’s, and a Baskin-Robbins, highlighting the tragic stories of the young victims and the miraculous survival of one witness. Reid’s criminal history, troubl...

This source chronicles the investigation into the murder of Misty Morse, a young woman whose bound body was discovered in a Florida river in 2002. Detectives initially explored several leads, including multiple former boyfriends, before focusing on Brent Huck, an ex-lover with a motive to hide Morse’s rumored pregnancy from his wealthy fiancée. Although Huck initially provided a false alibi, inves...

This transcript recounts the 2006 thrill killing of Idaho high school student Cassie Joe Stoddard, who was murdered while housesitting. The perpetrators, classmates Brian Draper and Tori Adamchick, were inspired by the movie Scream and documented their sinister intentions on video. After police discovered a cache of evidence and recorded confessions, the teenagers admitted to simulating a horror f...

This transcript details the terrifying manhunt and eventual capture of Howell Donaldson III, a serial killer who targeted the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa in 2017. Over the course of 51 days, the community lived in fear as four victims—Benjamin Mitchell, Monica Hoffa, Anthony Naiboa, and Ronald Felton—were randomly shot and killed. Despite a lack of initial leads or obvious motives, a cr...

This source details the tragic 2022 homicide of Kayla Hodgson, a young woman killed in her Florida home by a jealous rival. Investigators utilized surveillance footage and DNA evidence found under the victim's fingernails to identify the assailant as Sakina Thompson, who had traveled from New York to commit the crime. The motive stemmed from a toxic obsession regarding a mutual romantic interest,...

The episode details the tragic 2009 disappearance and murder of eight-year-old Sandra Cantu in Tracy, California. It chronicles the transition from a massive community search for a missing child to the horrifying discovery of her body hidden inside a discarded suitcase. The narrative emphasizes the shocking revelation that the killer was Melissa Huckaby, a local Sunday school teacher and neighbor...

The episode details a catastrophic murder-suicide involving the Basmajian family in North Hills, California, where a mother killed her husband and two young children. Law enforcement and medical examiners identified Marine Basmajian as the perpetrator who shot her husband, two-year-old son, and six-day-old daughter before ending her own life. Public reaction has focused on the shattering impact of...

This source examines the 2003 homicide of Michael Deakz, a beloved yoga instructor in Tucson, Arizona, whose death was initially mistaken for a botched robbery. Investigations eventually shifted toward his student and lover, Amber Trudell, after the murder weapon was discovered hidden at her in-laws' property. Forensic evidence regarding rigor mortis and insect activity debunked her initial alibi...

The episode examines the transformative role of genetic genealogy in solving cold cases, specifically focusing on its potential application in the Nancy Guthrie investigation. By merging traditional family research with advanced DNA analysis, this investigative method allows authorities to identify suspects and victims through their genetic relatives. The source highlights how this technology revo...

This episode details the legal proceedings and emotional aftermath surrounding a 2025 vehicle collision that resulted in the deaths of two Marquette University lacrosse players, Scott Michaud and Noah Snyder. The narrative explores the criminal trial of Amandria Brunner, who faced charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle after allegedly turning into the path of the athletes' Jeep....

This narrative recounts the harrowing investigation into the violent murder of Kim Dorsey, who was discovered by her firefighter husband in their Jacksonville home. While the crime scene initially appeared to be a suicide, investigators quickly identified it as a brutal homicide involving binding, blunt force trauma, and a struggle where the victim fought back. Detectives navigated a complex web o...

The episode recounts the life and tragic death of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago honor student whose 2013 murder became a national symbol for the fight against gun violence. Only days after performing at President Obama’s second inauguration, Pendleton was killed in a case of mistaken identity while at a public park with her friends. The source details the legal complexities surrounding t...

The episode details the legal consequences surrounding the 2024 homicide of Brandon Ramirez, a young man killed during a robbery disguised as a drug transaction in Green Bay. It focuses on the sentencing of Darian Pinchart, the first of five suspects to receive a prison term for his involvement in the fatal shooting. The narrative explores the chaotic events of the crime, the conflicting testimoni...

This episode chronicles the tragic life and death of Janie Herrera Jones, a highly educated Filipina businesswoman murdered by her former husband, a prominent academic named Lawrence Jones. After relocating to California to pursue the American dream, Janie suffered years of domestic abuse and control within her marriage. The sources detail the gruesome 2012 crime, the subsequent investigation that...

This transcript details the investigation into the 2007 murder of Monica Misero, a resident of the small town of Bloomsbury, New Jersey. Though detectives initially suspected someone from the victim’s inner circle, a lack of forensic evidence and several verified alibis eventually shifted the focus toward a random attacker. The breakthrough occurred when a long-haul trucker named Adam Leroy Lane w...

These accounts illustrate how forensic advancements and determined investigators have successfully resolved decades-old cold cases. In Missouri and Illinois, authorities used pioneering DNA database searches and cyber forensics to track a serial killer through a computer-generated map. Similarly, California detectives utilized preserved biological evidence and saliva from envelopes to finally iden...

This transcript outlines two separate cold case homicide investigations where long-delayed justice was finally achieved through forensic advancements and persistent detective work. The first case details the disappearance of Lucy Mucino and her daughters, which was solved years later when DNA testing linked blood found in their apartment to their surviving relatives. This evidence, combined with a...

The episode details the long-awaited legal breakthrough in the 1997 double homicide of Marlene and Cassie Emerson in Colville, Washington. After nearly three decades, authorities arrested Charles Lloyd Tatom in 2024, linking him to the brutal arson and stabbing deaths through modern DNA forensic technology. The investigation highlights the dangerous influence of outlaw motorcycle clubs and methamp...

These sources detail the unresolved 1989 murder of five-year-old Justin Lee Turner in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. The child’s body was discovered in a family camper two days after he vanished, revealing he had been strangled and hidden on the property. Decades later, forensic advancements and inconsistent statements led to the 2024 arrests of his father and stepmother, Victor and Megan Turner....

On June 8, 2026, the Alexandria Police Department discovered the body of Marlow Trottie, a 35-year-old Black transgender woman who had been fatally shot. Shortly after the incident, authorities arrested Taylor Ramone Weatherspoon and charged him with second-degree murder with a bond set at one million dollars. The victim is remembered by her community as a vibrant and resilient individual, though...

This source details a dark period in Colorado history between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s characterized by dozens of unsolved murders of young women. Often referred to as the Denver Body Dump Killer cases, these crimes involved victims being discarded in remote areas after suffering sexual assault and strangulation. While early investigations struggled with fragmented law enforcement and limited t...

The episode chronicles the lengthy investigation into a series of violent crimes that occurred in Hot Springs, Arkansas, during December 2020. It details the breakthrough charges filed in 2026 against Simon Isaiah Sertuche for the capital murders of Shaquilla Watts, her young son Zay’vion, and teenager Ethan Mathis. The narrative highlights how ballistic evidence, social media admissions, and digi...

The episode details the investigation into the 2019 murder of Dr. Thomas Burchard, a California psychiatrist whose body was discovered in the trunk of an abandoned car in the Las Vegas desert. Authorities linked the homicide to Kelsey Turner, a former model who had received roughly $300,000 from the doctor in a transactional "sugar daddy" relationship. The narrative explains that the situation tur...

The episode detail a high-profile criminal case involving Henry Segura, who was convicted for the brutal murders of his mistress, Brandy Peters, and her three young children in Tallahassee. While the defense attempted to shift blame toward a drug cartel hit orchestrated by a prison inmate, prosecutors successfully argued that Segura’s motive was rooted in mounting debt from child support. Investig...