Mama Mystery with Kelly Evans

Dan Markel was a brilliant legal scholar, a devoted father, and a man deeply respected in his field—but his life came to a shocking end on July 18, 2014, when he was gunned down in his driveway in Tallahassee, Florida. What began as a search for a killer uncovered a complex web of family tensions, a bitter custody battle, and a murder-for-hire plot that exposed deep cracks in a seemingly perfect f...

The trial of the State of Massachusetts vs. Karen Read has begun and witnesses are taking the stand. We'll talk about the opening statements and some of the testimony from key players like the first responders on the scene and notably, Colin Albert.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https...

Right now, there is a huge case creating a stir within the true crime space and followers of this story are somewhat divided on what they believe happened on the night of January 29, 2022 outside of a home in Canton, Massachusetts.  A man named John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer, was found dead in a blizzard outside of a house in the Boston suburb.  Just six hours earlier, his girlfriend, Karen...

The past 10 days have been a whirlwind and most of it has been very unpleasant. However, today, one of my worst nightmares came to fruition when an intruder broke into part of our home and we were home to confront him. Please listen and consider our story a PSA to make plans for protecting you, your family, and your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Adverti...

Ezra McCandless appeared to be a free-spirited artist trying to find her place in the world—but her story took a dark turn on March 22, 2018, when she was found bloodied and barefoot on a rural road in Wisconsin, claiming she had been attacked. What followed was a murder investigation that revealed a web of love, lies, and betrayal. In this episode of Mama Mystery, we unravel the tragic and chilli...

Laci Peterson was eight months pregnant and preparing for the arrival of her son, Connor, when she vanished on Christmas Eve in 2002. What began as a hopeful search for a missing woman turned into a devastating murder investigation that captivated the nation. As the world mourned Laci, suspicion quickly fell on her husband, Scott Peterson, whose lies and infidelity unraveled a story of betrayal an...

Laci Peterson was eight months pregnant and preparing for the arrival of her son, Connor, when she vanished on Christmas Eve in 2002. What began as a hopeful search for a missing woman turned into a devastating murder investigation that captivated the nation. As the world mourned Laci, suspicion quickly fell on her husband, Scott Peterson, whose lies and infidelity unraveled a story of betrayal an...

Rebecca ‘Becky’ Bliefnick was a devoted mother, a brilliant nurse, and a beloved member of her Quincy, Illinois, community. But in February 2023, her life was tragically cut short when she was found brutally murdered in her home. The investigation revealed a story of a contentious divorce, disturbing threats, and a trail of evidence that pointed directly to her estranged husband, Timothy Bliefnick...

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Lauren Hugelmaier was a bright, compassionate young woman with a close-knit family and a promising future. But her life was cut short in September 2017 in one of the most shocking domestic violence cases to date. Her husband, Matthew Phelps, made a chilling 911 call claiming he had killed Lauren in a dreamlike state, blaming an overdose of cough medicine. What followed was a harrowing investigatio...

On a cold January night in 2008, 19-year-old Brianna Denison vanished from a friend’s home in Reno, Nevada, leaving behind only a small bloodstain on her pillow. What began as a missing persons case soon unraveled into a chilling hunt for a serial predator responsible for a string of sexual assaults in the area. Tragically, Brianna’s body was found weeks later, confirming every parent’s worst fear...

Laura Ackerson was a hardworking young mother determined to build a life for herself and her two sons. But her bitter custody battle with her ex-partner, Grant Hayes, turned into a nightmare when Laura vanished in July 2011. Days later, her dismembered remains were discovered in a Texas creek, marking one of the most chilling domestic murder cases in recent history. In this episode of Mama Mystery...

Lauren Giddings was a 27-year-old law student preparing for the next chapter of her life when she suddenly vanished in June 2011. Just days after friends and family reported her missing, police discovered her dismembered remains near her apartment complex in Macon, Georgia. The horrifying revelation sent shockwaves through the community, but the most chilling part? Her killer was someone she knew....

Megan Nichols was a bright and talented 15-year-old from Fairfield, Illinois, whose sudden disappearance on July 3, 2014, left her family and community desperate for answers. Initially dismissed as a runaway case, her mysterious disappearance turned into a haunting investigation that spanned years. In 2017, Megan’s remains were discovered in a shallow grave, finally providing the answers her famil...

On September 10, 2017, 19-year-old Kenneka Jenkins was found dead in a hotel freezer after attending a party at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois. Her tragic death sparked widespread speculation, fueled by unsettling surveillance footage of Kenneka wandering the hotel halls, clearly intoxicated. How did she end up in the freezer, and could she have been saved? In this epi...

Dean Corll, infamously known as ‘The Candy Man,’ was a seemingly ordinary electrician and candy company owner in Houston, Texas. But beneath his friendly exterior lurked one of the most prolific and sadistic serial killers in U.S. history. Between 1970 and 1973, Corll, with the help of two teenage accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley and David Brooks, tortured and murdered at least 28 young boys in wha...

Ashley Pittman Scott was a beloved teacher, a devoted friend, and a shining light in her Memphis community. But behind the facade of her seemingly perfect life was a volatile marriage that ended in tragedy on Thanksgiving Day in 2006. After a brutal argument with her husband, Jeffrey Scott, Ashley was found unconscious, beaten, and bruised—her injuries far too severe to survive. Jeffrey’s chilling...

The Pladl family tragedy is a story almost too bizarre to believe, filled with complex relationships and devastating consequences. It begins with a young woman reconnecting with her biological family, only for this reunion to spiral into a web of manipulation and heartbreak. What started as a search for identity and connection ended in an unimaginable series of events that shocked an entire commun...

Brenda Powell was a beloved mother, a dedicated child life specialist, and a compassionate figure in her Akron, Ohio, community. But on March 3, 2020, her life was cut tragically short in an unthinkable act of violence. Her daughter, Sydney Powell, struggled under the weight of academic failures and mounting anxiety, leading to a shocking confrontation that ended in Brenda’s brutal murder. In this...

Colleen Stan’s story is one of unimaginable horror and resilience. In 1977, the 20-year-old hitchhiker was abducted by Cameron and Janice Hooker in California and held captive for seven years. During her ordeal, Colleen endured physical and psychological abuse, confined for up to 23 hours a day in a coffin-like box beneath her captors’ bed. Manipulated by lies about a sinister organization that wo...

Richard Grissom Jr. was a charming and intelligent man whose sinister double life left a trail of devastation in Kansas City and beyond. His crimes escalated from theft and burglary to cold-blooded murder, culminating in the disappearance of three young women—Joan Butler, Theresa Brown, and Christine Rusch—in June 1989. Their bodies were never found, but the mountain of evidence against Grissom re...

Lauren McCluskey was a talented athlete, dedicated student, and beloved daughter who had a bright future ahead of her. But in October 2018, her life was cut tragically short when she was murdered by an ex-boyfriend on the University of Utah campus. Despite Lauren’s repeated pleas for help and multiple reports to campus and city police about his stalking and harassment, systematic failures allowed...

Pava LaPere was a brilliant 26-year-old entrepreneur, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and a passionate advocate for her Baltimore community. But in September 2023, her life was tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence. Pava was found murdered on the rooftop of her apartment building, her death leaving behind a devastated family, friends, and a city mourning the loss of one of its brightest...

Doug Benefield was a charismatic entrepreneur, a Navy veteran, and a devoted father when he crossed paths with Ashley Benefield, a former ballerina half his age. Their whirlwind romance and secret marriage shocked those around them, but it was their tumultuous relationship, filled with accusations of abuse, betrayal, and power struggles, that eventually turned deadly. On September 27, 2020, Doug w...

Jessica Boynton was just 19 years old, a young mother of two, and navigating a tumultuous marriage to a police officer when her life took a shocking turn. On April 14, 2016, a late-night argument ended with Jessica locked in a closet, found later by officers lying in a pool of blood with what was believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. But as the investigation unfolded, questions emerged: H...