Murders & Minivans

Some cases go cold because evidence disappears. Others because the truth is buried beneath mistakes, assumptions, and public pressure. The murder of JonBenét Ramsey may be both. In this episode, we revisit the facts of the case, the forensic evidence that still sparks debate, and the investigative errors that changed everything. We also explore why this case continues to captivate the public and w...

Susan Powell went missing in December 2009. Her husband claimed he took their children camping in a snowstorm but investigators suspected something far more sinister. This episode explores the evidence, the investigation, and the heartbreaking failures that allowed this case to end the way it did. For source information, and any other comments/inquiries: murdersminivans@gmail,com

RentAHitman dot com is not a hitman service. It never was. And yet, it has helped put multiple people in prison for trying to have someone murdered. This episode breaks down how a fake website became one of the most effective accidental crime traps on the internet. It starts in 2005 with Bob Innes, a former police academy graduate working in IT. He buys a domain name for a potential tech business....

or years, the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case has been reduced to headlines. A sick child. An abusive mother. A shocking murder. But that version skips over the part that matters most. In this episode, we walk through Gypsy’s life in full context what her childhood actually looked like behind closed doors, how control and isolation shaped her understanding of the world, how the murder unfolded step by s...

When news broke in 2018 that a seemingly normal Colorado dad had reported his pregnant wife and two little girls missing, the world braced for another tragic family disappearance. What unfolded over the next 72 hours was darker and more calculated than anyone expected. In this episode, we go deeper than the headlines and look at the parts of the case people rarely talk about. The manipulation. The...

When two children vanish, their mother insists they’re safe; but months later, they’re found buried in the backyard of her new husband, a man who writes doomsday prophecies. In this episode, we unpack the chilling story of Lori Vallow Daybell the so-called “Cult Mom” who believed she was chosen by God to lead 144,000 survivors into the end times. From a picture-perfect suburban life to murder char...

Crime starts at 33:02. In this episode, Stephanie opens the conversation with a thoughtful look at how we can give our kids small freedoms while still creating a reliable safety net around them. She talks about that delicate balance between trust and protection: how to let young people explore, make decisions, and grow, while still doing everything we can to keep them safe. She also digs into the...

Crime Discussion begins at 24:30 We talk about how trauma shows up, how it shapes us, and how people turn pain into purpose; before moving into the story of Douglas Garland and the murders of Alvin and Kathy Liknes and 5-year-old Nathan O’Brien. This episode covers: ✨ Why trauma is subjective and not a competition ✨ The tools that actually help (therapy, journaling, community, creativity) ✨ Two...

Crime Discussion begins at 23:40 In this episode, Stephanie talks about the fragility of trust and what happens when it can break. How we can give our kids bits of independence and trust that nothing harms them? How do we build trust with our neighbours and community members so our kids have a village? Then Tali covers the tragic murder of former Arkansas Senator Linda Collins, a case that stunned...

In this week’s episode, Stephanie opens up about control: why we crave it, what it’s really protecting us from, and how learning to let go can feel both terrifying and freeing. It’s honest, reflective, and something every overthinker (hi, us) can relate to. Then, Tali covers the disappearance of 20-year-old Ryan Shtuka: a young man who left a house party in Sun Peaks, British Columbia in 2018 and...

This week, Stephanie shares her honest thoughts on the Catfish documentary. She breaks down what stood out, the moments that made her pause, and why this story hits differently when you think about how people really behave online today. Then Tali covers the case of Teresita Basa, a Chicago woman murdered in the 1970s whose story took a shocking turn when someone later claimed she spoke through the...

Stephanie makes the case for experience birthday parties, the murder of loot bags and how to stress ourselves out less as parents trying to make the most of your child's birthdays. Tali discusses the Unknown Number: Highschool Catfish and the lunacy that is that documentary SOURCES: “What Happened to Lauryn and Kendra Licari? Unknown Number” — Tudum/Netflix article. Netflix “Where Is Kendra Licari...

Step inside Canada’s most haunted hospitals, sanatoriums, and asylums; places built for healing that became home to restless spirits. Sources: https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/former-edmonton-hospital-still-haunts-families-searching-lost-loved-ones/ https://paranormalexplorers.com/2014/04/03/famous-haunted-charles-camsell-hospital-in-edmonton/ https://itsnotalwaysaboutme-lauren.blogspot.com/2...

In 1959, Robert Raymond Cook was accused of one of the most shocking crimes in Canadian history: the murder of his father, stepmother, and five younger siblings in their home in Stettler, Alberta. Convicted and eventually executed, Cook has remained a controversial figure. Some believe he was a cold-blooded killer, while others insist he was wrongfully accused and that doubts about the investigati...

Stephanie and Tali tackle the everyday circus of parenting: morning routines, chores, allowance, and all the “character-building” fun that comes with it. Along the way, we share book recs, realistic tips, and a few too-honest opinions about running and why older men just hit different.

In 1978, five friends from Yuba City vanished after a college basketball game. Months later their car was found in the Plumas National Forest, leading to a series of unsettling discoveries: bodies in the wilderness, a trailer full of untouched supplies, and a mystery that has never been solved. This episode explores who the Yuba County Five were, what may have happened that night, and why the case...