The Fall Line: True Crime

We continue our coverage of the story of  80-year-old Rose Goodman, who was a fixture of her Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood. She was a mother and grandmother who'd been a leader in the church and community, and who'd volunteered with the schools her three children attended. Her close-knit block on Broomall Street looked after each other, and lived quietly in the bustling city—so it was shocki...

80-year-old Rose Goodman was a fixture of her Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood—a mother and grandmother who'd been a leader in the church and community, and who'd volunteered with the schools her three children attended. Her close-knit block on Broomall Street looked after one another, and lived quietly in the bustling city—so it was shocking when in September of 2023, Rose was found shot in th...

For 30 years, a young woman found in an Albuquerque motel room in 1991 was known only as Albuquerque Jane Doe, and later as Becca Doe. Her death was ruled a suicide, yet a photo-booth picture and a locked door kept online sleuths asking questions for decades. In March 2026, Ramapo College's genetic genealogists identified her as 18-year-old Becca Mallekoote. Maxine Spellman, a civilian researcher...

We continue our coverage of the ways in which Accredited Investigative Genetic Genealogists (AIGG) C are approaching the massive changes in the field of  Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG/IGG) following the update in the language of Ancestry.com's TOS regarding access to historical records and family trees. In this episode, we speak with Tracie Boyle, a longstanding and talented AIGG...

Lavern "Vern" Chupp was a well-known figure in St Joseph County, Michigan, where his Old Order Amish family had deep roots, and his skill at construction and carpentry meant he'd worked with just about everyone in the various townships surrounding his home. A devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Lavern was a popular man--but like anyone else, he had difficult business dealings and p...

We continue our coverage of the unsolved murder of Opelika, Alabama mother Sylvia Lou Dowdell, whose remains were discovered in Tuskegee just after Mother's Day 1998. Her daughter, Precious, still has questions--especially about the insurance police taken out on her mother before her death.  Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and menta...

We continue our coverage of the unsolved murder of Opelika, Alabama mother Sylvia Lou Dowdell, whose remains were discovered in Tuskegee just after Mother's Day 1998. This episode, we examine the crime scene, the forensic evidence, and the investigation.  Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in yo...

In 1998, a 38-year-old mother of seven, Sylvia Lou Dowdell, was murdered in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her body was left under a bridge, and her family in her hometown of Opelika waited to hear word of an arrest in her case. After all, a history of violence against Sylvia indicated what might have happened. But nearly 30 years later, her homicide remains unsolved, and two of her adult children, Precious a...

In October of 1988, the remains of a homicide victim were found in a rural area of Grays Harbor County, just outside Elma, Washington. A dedicated detective worked her case for years—first in his role with the sheriff's office, and then as coroner. Even now, in his retirement, he's followed the case. Despite thousands of hours of investigation, her identity remained elusive; but then, in 2018, for...

We continue our coverage of the disappearance of Melissa Ann Montoya. On St. Patrick's Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a town located in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. It was the last time that her friends and family ever saw her. Since then, lawyer and  advocate Darlene Gomez has been fighting alongside her f...

On St. Patrick's Day 2001, 42-year-old Melissa Ann Montoya joined her loved ones at the Apache House of Liquor in Dulce, New Mexico—a town located in the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation. It was the last time that her friends and family ever saw her. Since then, lawyer and  advocate Darlene Gomez has been fighting alongside her family for justice for Melissa--and for resolution in her case.  20...

In today's episode, we continue the story of Calvin Willie Martinez.  Mothers Day 2019 was the last time Calvin Willie Martinez's family heard from him. After suffering an immense loss in 2014, Calvin had struggled with depression and alcohol dependence.  But he always stayed in contact with his loved ones—so when he called them from a truck stop in Albuquerque, NM, and promised he was heading hom...

Mothers Day 2019 was the last time Calvin Willie Martinez's family heard from him. After suffering an immense loss in 2014, Calvin had struggled with depression and alcohol dependence.  But he always stayed in contact with his loved ones—so when he called them from a truck stop in Albuquerque, NM, and promised he was heading home, they believed him. But Calvin never arrived.  Ever since, his siste...

We sit down with podcaster and author Nina Innsted to discuss her coverage of and investigation into Michigan's unsolved missing persons cases and unresolved homicides—many of which are detailed in her new true-crime book.  Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/fallli...

We continue our coverage of missing child Arden Pepion, and her family's reflections on what justice really means.    In April of 2021, three-year-old Arden Pepion was taken to a shooting range on the banks of the Two-Medicine River on the Blackfeet Nation reservation in Montana. She hasn't been seen since—and despite years of search efforts, her family still doesn't have an answer. What happened...

In April of 2021, three-year-old Arden Pepion was taken to a shooting range on the banks of the Two-Medicine River on the Blackfeet Nation reservation in Montana. She hasn't been seen since—and despite years of search efforts, her family still doesn't have an answer. What happened to Baby Arden? In the first of a two-part series, we cover her disappearance and the experiences of her paternal grand...

For the family of Anastasia Ferriera, the search has been defined by obstacles: a detective they waited six months to meet, and tips that arrived too late or led nowhere. Her mother, Natalie, and grandmother Brenda have largely driven the investigation themselves, canvassing the International District, funding billboards and radio ads, and connecting with advocacy group Aunties for Justice.  In th...

Nineteen-year-old Anastasia Ferriera grew up close to her mother, Natalie Padilla, and her grandmother Brenda. Birthdays were always spent together, and texts flew back and forth throughout the day. In March 2023, that contact stopped. Anastasia was last seen in Albuquerque's International District, and her family has been searching ever since. In this first episode of a two-part series, we trace...

Eleven-year-old Andrew Oliver Escobar was finally settling back in with his father in Albuquerque. Re-enrolled at his old elementary school, he was playing chess, learning . Then, on June 25, 2023, Andrew went to his mother's for a court-ordered weekend visit. He never came back. In this first episode of our new season, we examine Andrew's disappearance and the painful reality facing families when...

This week we're sharing an episode from our friend Kristen Seavey, who creates and hosts Murder, She Told. Kristen is a credentialed victim's advocate and one of the best cold case researchers working in the field. In 1963, Emil Martens, a Danish immigrant living in a one-room cabin in the woods of Aroostook County, Maine, was murdered. The case went cold. At some point, the Maine State Police tol...

Roycinda Alexander thought that justice would come swiftly for her son, Darren Gray, who was murdered in public, in a city park, during his own child's birthday party—but she soon discovered that the neighborhood she'd raised her family in began to feel like a land of strangers.  On May 8th, 2010, 24-year-old Darren Gray attended his child's birthday party at a Norfolk-area public park; during the...

On May 8th, 2010, 24-year-old Darren Gray attended his child's birthday party at a Norfolk-area public park; during the celebration, he was attacked by a group of men and endured a brutal beating that ended in his murder. Close to 13 years later, his mother and siblings have more questions than answers, and though some suspects were identified—and eventually, convicted—of Darren's beating, his mur...

For more than two years, we've continued our coverage of the Nashville, Tennessee Jane Doe formerly known as Vandy Jane Doe. In February 2026,  her identification was announced: she was Yadezia Jones, of Nashville, and had finally been reconnected with her identity through FIGG (forensic investigative genetic genealogy). In this episode, we speak with the current and retired detectives assigned to...

For the family of Christian Boyle, the grief of his unsolved murder is compounded by a lack of transparency. While convictions were secured in the Birmingham murder of Terrell Guy Jr.—the crime Christian witnessed—his own case in Blount County has remained at a standstill for eight years. In the conclusion of this series, we speak with Christian's twin Brandon about his transformation from grievin...

Today, we're sharing a preview of The Final Hours, a true crime podcast from Crime House, powered by PAVE Studios.  Hosted by Sarah Turney and Kourtney Nichole, The Final Hours examines the moments just before a person disappears. The routines. The timelines. And the small details that often get overlooked,  until it's too late.  Sarah is an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose sister d...