Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast

In 1954, Dr. Sam Sheppard's pregnant wife Marilyn was brutally murdered in their Ohio home. Sheppard claimed a "bushy-haired intruder" attacked them both, but prosecutors believed he was the killer. The sensational trial became a media circus, inspired the TV show "The Fugitive," and raised serious questions about how media coverage can influence justice. Decades later, the case remains controvers...

Belle Gunness was a Norwegian immigrant who turned her Indiana farm into a graveyard. Between 1884 and 1908, she lured dozens of suitors through "lonely hearts" advertisements, promising marriage and a life on her prosperous farm. Instead, her victims found death—poisoned, bludgeoned, or dismembered—and buried in her hog pen. When her farmhouse mysteriously burned down in 1908, investigators disco...

In 1980s Los Angeles, a group of wealthy young men formed an exclusive investment club that promised to make them all millionaires. Led by the charismatic Joe Hunt, the Billionaire Boys Club quickly devolved from a get-rich-quick scheme into something far more sinister. When their Ponzi scheme began to collapse, Hunt convinced his followers that murder was the solution. The club's victims included...

Before Bernie Madoff, before cryptocurrency scams, there was Charles Ponzi—the man who gave his name to one of history's most infamous fraud schemes. In 1920, the Italian immigrant promised investors a 50% return in just 45 days through an elaborate international postal reply coupon scheme. Thousands of people, from working-class immigrants to wealthy Bostonians, handed over their life savings. At...

In 1998, 14-year-old Michael Politte woke up to find his Missouri home engulfed in flames and his mother dead inside. Within hours, investigators decided Michael was the killer, despite a complete lack of physical evidence and a motive that made no sense. He was convicted based on questionable fire science, coerced statements, and a rush to judgment that ignored other suspects. Michael spent 23 ye...

At 19 years old, Colton Harris-Moore became one of America's most wanted fugitives—and a folk hero to some. Dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit" because he often committed crimes without shoes, Colton stole cars, boats, and even airplanes during a two-year crime spree across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Despite having no formal flight training, he taught himself to fly by reading manuals and playing...

In 1990, two of America's most prominent televangelists became targets of a mysterious mail bombing campaign. John Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston and Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network both received explosive devices in the mail—bombs sophisticated enough to kill, but intercepted before they could detonate. Despite an extensive FBI investigation, the bomber was never caught,...

Lake Lanier, Georgia's largest lake, is one of the deadliest bodies of water in America—with over 700 deaths since its creation in 1956. But the lake's dark history goes deeper than tragic accidents. Built by flooding entire communities, including a predominantly Black town that was never properly evacuated, Lake Lanier sits atop homes, churches, and even cemeteries. Locals believe the lake is cur...

It was just before sunrise on a quiet September morning in Phoenix City, Alabama, when 30-year-old Eric Nealms stepped outside, heading to work like he did every morning. But someone was already waiting. Within moments of leaving his home, Eric was shot multiple times in his own driveway and left to die. A witness saw a light-skinned man wearing dark clothing running from the scene immediately aft...

After a night out with friends in July 2021, 23-year-old Destiny McClain was shot and killed as she waited for food at a taco truck outside a Phoenix nightclub. The senseless murder shattered her family and community, and despite the public nature of the crime, her case remains unsolved. Destiny was a beloved daughter, sister, and friend whose bright future was stolen in an instant. Destiny's fami...

 In 1975, 18-year-old Karen Grammer was working at a Red Lobster in Colorado Springs when she was abducted, raped, and murdered by a group of men during a botched robbery. Karen was the younger sister of actor Kelsey Grammer, who would later become famous for his role on "Frasier." The brutal crime devastated the Grammer family and had a profound impact on Kelsey's life and career. While Karen's k...

On January 24, 2006, 24-year-old Jennifer Kesse vanished from her Orlando condominium without a trace. Her car was found abandoned a mile away, with surveillance footage showing an unidentified person parking it—but the footage was too grainy to identify the suspect. Jennifer was a successful finance manager with no known enemies, and her disappearance has baffled investigators for nearly two deca...

In 1922 Los Angeles, Clara Phillips became known as "The Tiger Woman" after she brutally murdered her husband's alleged mistress with a hammer in a jealous rage. The crime was shocking in its violence, but what captivated the nation was Clara herself—a beautiful former showgirl who showed no remorse and became a media sensation during her trial. Clara's story had everything: Hollywood glamour, a l...

In 2010, Dr. Amy Bishop, a Harvard-educated neuroscientist, opened fire during a faculty meeting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, killing three colleagues and wounding three others. The shooting shocked the academic world, but the investigation revealed an even more disturbing truth: this wasn't Amy's first violent crime. In 1986, she had shot and killed her own brother in Massachusetts...

On Mother's Day 2020, Suzanne Morphew went for a bike ride near her Colorado home and never returned. Her husband Barry reported her missing, launching a massive search of the Rocky Mountain wilderness. But as investigators dug deeper, the case took a dark turn. Evidence of an affair, suspicious financial transactions, and Barry's own behavior made him the prime suspect. In 2021, Barry was arreste...

Join us for a special crossover episode with Kate Casey from the "Reality Life with Kate Casey" podcast! We dive into the intersection of reality TV and true crime, exploring the most shocking criminal cases involving reality TV stars. From "Real Housewives" legal troubles to "90 Day Fiancé" scandals, we discuss how reality TV has become an unexpected source of true crime content. Kate brings her...

Christopher Tapp spent 20 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. After finally being exonerated in 2019 with the help of Angie Dodge's mother, Chris tried to rebuild his life and become an advocate for criminal justice reform. But in 2023, Chris was found dead in Las Vegas under suspicious circumstances. The man who had survived two decades of wrongful imprisonment couldn't survive the vio...

In 1996, 18-year-old Angie Dodge was raped and murdered in her Idaho Falls apartment. Police quickly arrested Christopher Tapp, who confessed after hours of coercive interrogation—but the evidence didn't match. Tapp spent 20 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, while Angie's mother Carol Dodge fought tirelessly to prove his innocence and find her daughter's real killer. Through DNA testin...

Join us for a special crossover episode with Maya and Sarah from the "Doing It All" podcast! We explore the chilling connections between celebrity culture and true crime, discussing cases where fame, fortune, and criminal behavior collide. From high-profile murders to celebrity scandals that turned deadly, we dive into what happens when the spotlight reveals darkness. Maya and Sarah bring their un...

In 1965, police in Houston made a horrifying discovery: the dismembered bodies of two women stuffed inside an apartment refrigerator. The victims were identified as Fred and Edwina Rogers, a wealthy elderly couple. Their son Charles was missing and became the prime suspect, but he was never found. The case took even darker turns when investigators uncovered evidence of a deeply disturbed family dy...

When does a mother's protective instinct cross the line into something deadly? This week, we discuss a South Texas mom who took her role as protector to the next level—and the end result was the death of an innocent teenage boy. Joey Fischer was a young man whose life was cut tragically short by a mother who believed she was defending her family. But was it really self-defense, or did fear and par...

When 34-year-old Sherri Papini vanished during an afternoon jog in her quiet California neighborhood in November 2016, the community erupted in panic. Her husband Keith found her phone on the side of the road with her earbuds—strands of Sherri's blonde hair tangled in them. Within hours, a massive search was underway, and the entire nation watched as investigators followed every possible lead. Thr...

In Part 1, Sherri Papini vanished during an afternoon jog and reappeared three weeks later, claiming she'd been abducted and tortured by two Hispanic women. The nation rallied around her. But in Part 2, the truth begins to unravel. For years, investigators followed dead-end leads while Sherri and her family went into hiding. Then, a breakthrough: male DNA found on Sherri's clothing didn't match an...

This week, we're doing something a little different! Instead of our usual deep dives, we're sharing quirky summer crimes that happened in quintessential vacation spots—beaches, ice cream shops, campgrounds, and lakes. These are less "summer slasher" and more "summer swipers." From a filmmaker who exposed a theft ring targeting surfers in Newport Beach to a Michigan man who stole from campground pa...

She was wealthy, stylish, and living the dream life in Sydney, Australia—designer clothes, luxury vacations, a $6.2 million mansion. But when Melissa Caddick vanished without a trace the day after authorities raided her home, what followed would unravel one of Australia's most bizarre financial scandals. Melissa had been running a $23 million Ponzi scheme, stealing from friends, family, and collea...