Santana True Crime

On April 20, 1990, 17-year-old Christopher Matthew Kerze told his parents he wasn't feeling well and stayed home from school. By the end of the day, he had withdrawn $200 from his savings account, left behind a series of cryptic notes, driven more than 200 miles into northern Minnesota, and disappeared without a trace. More than three decades later, Christopher's fate remains one of Americ...

In this episode of Santana True Crime, retired Raleigh Police Officer Cameron Santana is joined by Dr. Brian Santana to examine the latest developments in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. We discuss several important updates that have emerged, including Savannah Guthrie's revelation that the back door of Nancy's home was found propped open when family members arrived, and why that detai...

Ashley Loring Heavyrunner vanished from the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana in June 2017. Nearly nine years later, her family is still searching for answers. In this episode of Santana True Crime , host Cameron Santana is joined by investigative journalist Jayson Blair, who has spent years researching Ashley's disappearance, and recently retired Chicago homicide detective Michele Wood,...

More than four months after Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home, investigators continue to search for answers. In this episode, Cameron Santana and Dr. Brian Santana examine the confirmed timeline of Nancy's disappearance, discuss the latest developments in the investigation, and separate verified facts from online speculation. We explore: The complete timeline of Nancy's disap...

For decades, thousands of teenagers have been sent to wilderness camps, religious boarding schools, behavioral programs, and residential treatment facilities as part of what has become known as the "Troubled Teen Industry." Supporters argue these programs help struggling youth. Critics and survivors say some facilities have operated with little oversight, resulting in allegations of emot...

In 1992, Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Kent McGowen was involved in the fatal shooting of Susan White while serving an arrest warrant in Texas. The case resulted in a criminal conviction, years in prison, and a controversy that continues more than three decades later. In this exclusive interview, Kent joins Santana True Crime to discuss the events of that day, the investigation, the trial, hi...

A trail run near Asheville, North Carolina turned into a terrifying encounter that has captured national attention. In this episode of Santana True Crime, retired police officer Cameron Santana is joined by military veteran, use-of-force expert, and law enforcement trainer Eric Scott to examine the attack on trail runner Emily Sutherland and the criminal charges filed against Dillon James Curtis....

A Tennessee execution was stopped at the last minute after officials were unable to establish the IV lines required to carry out the lethal injection of death row inmate Tony Carruthers. Carruthers was convicted of the 1994 kidnapping and murders of Marcellos Anderson, Delois Anderson, and Frederick Tucker—three victims who prosecutors said were beaten, shot, and buried alive. In this episode of S...

In 1992, Harris County Deputy Kent McGowen became the center of one of the most controversial cases in Texas law enforcement history. Was he a reckless deputy… or a man convicted by rumor, politics, and public perception? Author Jerry Langton joins Santana True Crime to discuss his new book Reasonable Doubts: How Rumors and Innuendo Convicted Deputy Kent McGowen of Murder and the complicated story...

Tonight on Santana True Crime, we break down the major development in the Gretchen Fleming case after authorities announced the arrest of Preston Pierce in connection with Gretchen’s disappearance and death. Gretchen Fleming vanished from Parkersburg, West Virginia in December 2022 after being last seen leaving a bar with Pierce. For years, the case captured national attention as investigators con...

What really happened to Matthew McDonald? In this episode of Santana True Crime , Matthew’s sister Sam discusses shocking claims that Matthew had become involved with a group committing robberies and may have been planning to rob someone connected to $50,000. Who knew about the alleged plan? Did the intended victim find out? And could Matthew have become the target instead? Joining the discussion...

n recent months, claims have gone viral suggesting that multiple scientists in the United States have gone missing or died under suspicious circumstances. But is there any real connection between these cases… or is this a narrative fueled by social media? In this episode of Santana True Crime , we break down the known facts behind several of these cases — including missing persons, confirmed death...

In this episode of Santana True Crime , we sit down with former Chicago homicide detective Michele Wood , author of Model Detective: A True Story of Heels, Handcuffs and Homicides . Michele’s story is unlike anything you’ve heard—balancing two completely different worlds: modeling and homicide investigations. From working brutal 30-hour murder cases to interviewing violent offenders and solving se...

What really happened to the Yuba County Five? In this episode of Santana True Crime , I’m joined by author Tony Wright , author of Things Aren’t Right , and criminologist David Hayes to examine one of America’s strangest unsolved mysteries. We break down the major theories surrounding the disappearance and deaths of the Yuba County Five, including: Misadventure and exposure Foul play theories Why...

The murder of Liz Barraza was caught on camera—but the killer is still unidentified. In this episode of Santana True Crime , former FBI profiler Julia Cowley joins the show to break down one of the most disturbing unsolved cases in recent years: the Liz Barraza murder case. Julia walks through what the suspect’s behavior, planning, and actions at the scene reveal about the type of person responsib...

In this episode of Santana True Crime , we break down NEW details learned from a recent phone conversation with the person who discovered Virginia’s body . While the witness is not appearing on the show, we will be sharing what he told us—information that adds new perspective to the crime scene and timeline. With the anniversary of her death tomorrow, this episode takes a deeper look into one of N...

She spent years writing to one of America’s most notorious serial killers—the Green River Killer. What he revealed in those letters is disturbing, personal, and something most people never hear. In this episode of Santana True Crime, author Maria DiLorenzo shares her direct correspondence with Gary Ridgway, offering rare insight into the mind of a serial killer. Also joining the show is Dr. Bill K...

What if there was a real group of elite investigators solving murders that law enforcement couldn’t? In this episode, we’re joined by New York Times bestselling author Michael Capuzzo to discuss his book The Murder Room —a deep dive into the Vidocq Society, a real-life network of profilers, forensic experts, and detectives working cold cases that have gone unsolved for years. We break down: The or...

Long before the Jeffrey Epstein scandal made global headlines, there was another disturbing case centered around a remote island in Michigan—North Fox Island. In this episode, we sit down with forensic psychologist and criminologist Dr. David C. Hayes to break down the North Fox Island case, an alleged trafficking network that operated decades before the internet, and its possible connections to t...

Tonight on Santana True Crime , we are going live to examine one of the most disturbing unsolved murders connected to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On June 30, 1965, 21-year-old Suellen Evans was attacked while walking through Coker Arboretum on the UNC campus. The attack occurred in broad daylight. Evans fought back against her attacker and was able to tell witnesses that the m...

Crime journalist Maria DiLorenzo joins Santana True Crime to discuss her upcoming book Confessions of the Green River Killer: A True Story of Manipulation, Madness, and a Search for Justice . After writing to serial killer Gary Ridgway , Maria expected silence. Instead, the man known as the Green River Killer called her from prison. Over the following years, Ridgway contacted her hundreds of times...

In December 1981, 19-year-old Rhonda Hinson was shot while driving home in Burke County, North Carolina. More than four decades later, her murder remains unsolved. In this episode of Santana True Crime , I am joined by Captain John Hoyle with the Burke County Sheriff’s Office — the agency currently leading the investigation — to discuss the crime scene, timeline, and ongoing efforts to bring justi...

In this episode of Santana True Crime, we examine the 1987 disappearance of 16-year-old Theresa Bier from Fresno, California. After Theresa vanished in the Sierra National Forest, a shocking claim emerged — that she had been taken by Bigfoot. But was that story a distraction from something far more human? Joined by Kelli Brink, we break down the known timeline, the individuals connected to the cas...

What happens when the justice system gets it wrong? In this clip from Santana True Crime , I’m joined by author Steffen Hou as we discuss a chilling case where a person was executed — and later evidence suggested they were innocent. How does that happen? And what does it say about the death penalty? Steffen dives deeper into wrongful convictions and death row cases in his book The Deprived , which...

As the Winter Olympics are happening right now , we revisit one of the darkest chapters in Olympic history — the 1996 Atlanta bombing and the years-long manhunt that followed. In this episode of Santana True Crime , I’m joined by investigative journalist Gracey Sneed , who has interviewed investigators, family members, and neighbors connected to Eric Rudolph . Gracey recently published in-depth ar...