On December 20, 1979, 18-year-old Michelle Marie Martinko was found stabbed to death in the family’s 1972 tan Buick in the parking lot of a Cedar Rapids mall. The high school senior had driven to the mall after her school choir banquet to shop for a new winter coat. Police found no weapon or fingerprints […]
On February 24, 2005, Rosemarie Essa, driving to meet a friend, collapsed behind the wheel of her car, and hit in a passing van. She later died at the hospital, even though she had no apparent injuries. After Rosemarie’s death, her doctor husband Yazeed hired two nannies, Marguerita Montenaz and Michele Madeline. When the cause […]
Ezra McCandless (born Monica Carlson), 20, chose a new “gender neutral” name because she sometimes identified as a boy. At the time of the crime, she had three suitors: on/off boyfriend Jason Mengel, 35; Alex Woodworth, who called her his “boy,” and John Hansen, who (according to McCandless) sexually assaulted her. When the crime occurred, […]
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Nicole Nachtman was, by all accounts, a disappointment to her mother, Myriam, and stepfather Bob. The defense argued that Nicole’s mother had inflicted years of psychological, verbal and physical abuse on her daughter, including forcing her to get liposuction and Lasik surgery. Nicole was emotionally stunted and lived in fear, taking refuge in online games […]
Saturday, January 4, 2020
On March 14, 2015 (the day after the final installment of the six-part documentary series The Jinx aired on HBO), Robert Durst, 73, was arrested by the FBI in connection with the murder of his former girlfriend, the writer Susan Berman. He was staying in a hotel in New Orleans and found to be in […]
Saturday, December 21, 2019
This episode contains the testimony of Jane Doe 1 in the rape trial of Kellen Winslow Jr., a former NFL tight end, in San Diego County Superior Court in early November. Jane Doe, who remained nameless and was not shown on camera, was a 54-year-old homeless woman from Encinitas, California. Walking by the 101 highway […]
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
This episode contains the testimony of Eboni Wiley in the trial of Granville Ritchie, 40, for the rape and murder of Wiley’s neighbor, 9-year-old Felecia Williams, in Tampa, Florida. Ms. Wiley previously testified that Mr. Ritchie, who said his name was “Trevor,” had picked her up in the street a few days earlier. Since then, […]
Thursday, November 28, 2019
This episode contains three hours of the eight hours with attorney Wendi Adelson spent with Tallahassee police immediately after the death of her husband, FSU law professor Dan Markel (see episode 113). After being informed of her husband’s death, Wendi spoke with law enforcement officers for almost eight hours (without asking for counsel). The police […]
Sunday, November 24, 2019
This episode contains the testimony of Todd Mullis, 43, on the stand during his trial for the murder of his wife Amy, 39. Mullis, an Iowa hog farmer, testifies that he was doing chores with his wife in the hog barn when Amy, who’d recently had surgery, seemed dizzy and weak. She left the hog […]
Sunday, November 17, 2019
The first piece of audio in this episode is “Elliot Rodger’s Retribution,” posted online by the 22-year-old before his Isla Vista rampage on May 23, 2014. Roger explains that he is angry about being unable to get a girlfriend ever though he is obviously “gorgeous,” “magnificent,” and a “supreme gentleman.” This is followed by audio […]
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