In May 1998, 36-year-old Lisa Valdez—a successful computer programmer—was found brutally murdered inside her secure San Francisco apartment. There were no signs of forced entry. Nothing was stolen. And the building’s security suggested one chilling truth: Lisa let her killer inside.
In December 2000, DeKalb County, Georgia stood on the brink of change. Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown—a reform-minded leader with a grassroots following—had just defeated the sitting sheriff, Sydney Dorsey, in a shocking runoff election. Brown promised to clean up corruption inside the sheriff’s department, and for many in the community, his victory felt like hope.
But just days before he was set to take office, that hope was violently cut short.
Carla Stefaniak was the kind of woman who lit up every room she entered—a 36-year-old Venezuelan queen with big energy, big dreams, and a passport always ready for the next adventure. So when she flew out to Costa Rica in November 2018 to celebrate her birthday, she expected sun, beaches, and a great time. What she didn’t know was that would her last trip.
In November 1994, 36-year-old Robin Lawrence — a gifted Black artist and mother living in Springfield, Virginia — was brutally murdered in her home, leaving behind her two-year-old daughter and a family and community in shock. For decades the crime went cold, until advancements in DNA and genetic genealogy finally cracked the case. This episode delves into the life she led, the investigation’s long stalemate, the years of pain and waiting for her family, and finally the breakthrough that delivered a semblance of justice.
This episode dives into the truth behind a hit that took place on a cold January night in Bridgeport, Connecticut and how a young mother, Karen Clarke and her 8-year-old son BJ Brown, stepped up to testify in a murder case. While trying to protect her family and do what’s right in a city that was already drowning in fear and street politics, that choice put a target on her back. Listen in on how the system failed Karen and BJ, and how the legacy of a mother and son was stolen to silence a voice.
Eight-year-old Victoria Climbié came to London from the Ivory Coast for a better life — but instead, she met pure evil.
Starved, beaten, and burned , Victoria’s cries for help were ignored by doctors, police, and social workers who should’ve protected her. By the time anyone acted, it was too late.
This episode breaks down how a system built to protect children turned its back on one little Black girl — and how her death exposed the deep cracks in Britain’s child welfare system.
Shawn Washington and Adrienne Hickson were that college couple everybody thought would make it — young, Black, educated, and in love. But behind the cute selfies and matching hoodies was a relationship full of control, jealousy, and pride.
When Adrienne got accepted to law school in D.C., distance started tearing them apart. What should’ve been a birthday celebration turned into a nightmare when a heated argument ended with Shawn bleeding out on the floor of their Atlanta apartment.
In this episode, we cover the heartbreaking case of 13-year-old Kei’Mani Latigue — a bright, loving girl from Toledo, Ohio, whose cries for help went unanswered. Despite multiple reports to Child Protective Services about possible abuse, Kei’Mani was left in a dangerous home.
When she went missing in March 2025, the community hoped she’d just run away. But days later, her body was found inside an abandoned, burned-down house — just three days before her 14th birthday.
Monique Baugh was a young, beautiful real estate agent, a mother of two, and a woman grinding to build a better life for her family. But on New Year’s Eve 2019, that life was stolen in a crime that shook Minneapolis to its core.
It started with what seemed like a normal workday — a house showing for a new client. But when Monique arrived, she walked straight into a setup.
This week we explore the harrowing story of Lamar Johnson, a St. Louis man who spent nearly three decades behind bars for a murder he did not commit.
In 1994, Johnson was convicted of killing his friend Marcus Boyd — despite having an alibi placing him miles away at the time of the crime. The case against him relied heavily on shaky eyewitness testimony and police misconduct, with no physical evidence tying him to the scene. Over the years, witnesses recanted, new confessions came to light, and mounting evidence pointed to Johnson’s innocence.
Between 1998 and 1999, Mwenvano Mwambashi Kupaza, a 25-year-old woman living in Madison, Wisconsin, vanished under mysterious circumstances. What followed was one of the more disturbing, grisly cases in state history — a case with body parts, forensic artistry, and grave allegations of betrayal from someone very close.
On January 22, 2025, Antioch High School in Nashville became the site of an unspeakable tragedy. Seventeen-year-old Solomon Henderson entered the school cafeteria and opened fire, fatally wounding 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante before turning the gun on himself. This episode explores a pattern of red flags that preceded the shooting—from early violent incidents at home and school to chilling online activity—raising urgent questions about missed opportunities and systemic failure
In this week's episode, we dive deep into the timeline, the investigation, the trial — and the questions that remain. After months of panic and public pressure, authorities arrested 23-year-old Wayne Williams — a freelance new reporter and talent manager — charging him with the murders of two adult men. Listen as we learn who Wayne Williams was and how he was named the Atlanta Child Killer.
In this weeks two-part episode we turn our focus to one of the most disturbing and controversial cases in American true crime. Between 1979 and 1981, Atlanta was haunted by the mysterious disappearances and murders of at least 28 young Black children and teens. Fear gripped the city as families searched for answers, and a community pleaded for justice. After months of panic and public pressure, authorities arrested finally closed in a suspect, Wayne Williams
In this chilling episode we dive deep into the shocking and tragic murder of Judge Josephine Holmes-Cook, a respected figure in the legal community whose was known for her tough but fair courtroom demeanor. Judge Cook dedicated her career to justice—but her own fate would become a case more twisted than any she presided over. We examine the events leading up to her murder, the possible motives swirling around her courtroom decisions.
In this episode we examine the terrifying true story of the Briley Brothers — Linwood, James, and Anthony — whose seven-month killing spree turned Richmond, Virginia, into a city gripped by fear in 1979.
Behind the doors of an ordinary-looking home lived three young men who would become some of the most violent serial killers in American history. Responsible for the brutal murders of at least 11 people, the Brileys targeted victims of all backgrounds — young, old, Black, white — with no clear pattern other than cruelty and chaos.
This is a haunting look at how evil can thrive in plain sight… and the cost when a community is left to pick up the pieces.
In this episode, we delve into the tragic story of Abraham Shakespeare, a Florida man who went from rags to riches — and ultimately to his grave. After winning a $30 million lottery jackpot in 2006, Shakespeare hoped to escape poverty and help those around him. But his sudden wealth attracted vultures.
He vanished in 2009, and suspicions grew around a woman who had inserted herself into his life under the guise of helping him manage his fortune.
We explore how Shakespeare’s generosity became his downfall, how his disappearance unfolded, and the chilling manipulation that led to his death — a cautionary tale about trust, greed, and the dark side of sudden wealth.
On a rainy night on November 5th, 1994, in San Leandro, California police were called to a elementary school to investigate an alarm. Upon arrival a 15-year-old girl by the name of Evelyna Leblanc was found clinging to life on the side of the building. After evading capture in California, 13-years later, her killer strikes again, but this time in Portland, Oregan.
On April 24, 2003, 21-year-old Romona Moore was abducted on her way to Burger King in Brooklyn, NY. As the only child to her mother, she fought hard for the police to search for her child. Four days after Romona's disappearance police get a call about a 15-year-old girl who'd just ascapted her 2 attackers. Listen as we uncover what happened in the days following Romona Moore's disappearance.
Kelly Forbes immigrated from her homeland in Trinidad with her young daughter to Brooklyn. After getting a job and starting to make a life for herself and her young child she meets an older gentleman by the name of Michael Forbes. Michael courted and swept Kelly off her feet, but it didn't take long for the cracks in the marriage to start to show.