In the first episode of 2026, Hot On The Case investigates the bizarre disappearance & death of Joshua Maddux, a case that has left online sleuths baffled for over a decade. Found inside a chimney under circumstances that were officially ruled accidental, the details of Joshua’s death are anything but simple. Strange inconsistencies, suspicious clues, & the possibility of a connection to a serial killer still at large. 

In this week’s investigation, Hot On The Case deep dives into the case of Paula Sims. The mother who committed unthinkable crimes because she wanted only sons.

Thank you to everyone for all the support this year!

In this week’s investigation Hot On The Case goes back to Christmas Eve 2008. The night a man dressed as Santa Claus carried out a brutal attack at a holiday gathering in Covina, California, turning a night of celebration into unimaginable horror. This is the Covina Christmas Eve Massacre.

In this episode of Hot On The Case we travel to the most northern of United States, the chilly frontier of Alaska, where we uncover the disturbing crimes of serial killer Robert Hansen, a quiet family man and local baker whose unassuming life masked a horrifying secret. For more than a decade Hansen preyed on vulnerable young women in Anchorage, luring them with promises of money or safety before kidnapping them and flying them deep into the Alaskan wilderness. There, he unleashed a terrifying and sadistic ritual, hunting his victims through the remote forests like game. His reign of terror left investigators piecing together a trail of disappearances and fear until one survivor’s escape finally exposed the predator hiding in plain sight.

In this week’s investigation, Hot On The Case dives into the infamous case of Debra Lafave.

A name that once dominated headlines and the media circuit, her story has sparked outrage and controversy for decades. This episode unpacks how a married middle school teacher became entangled in an illegal relationship with an 8th grade student & how the phrase “too pretty for prison” became forever tied to her case.

We break down the legal twists, the public reaction, and the unsettling double standards that often arise when gender comes into play in discussions of victims and predators

In this week's episode of Hot On The Case, we dive into why 'The Carman Family Deaths' is one of the most chilling and tangled cases in recent true crime history. What begins as a tragic family mystery quickly unravels into a story filled with suspicious behavior, inheritance drama, and unanswered questions.

In this episode we'll do a deep dive on the case, discuss the recent popular documentary covering it, and touch on all the details the doc missed.

In this week's investigation Hot on the Case travels back to the 1970s in the quiet village of Amityville New York. After six members of a family were killed inside their home questions began to emerge about the forces that led to this massacre being committed. When another family moved in a year later and reported a bizarre haunting many people came to believe this was the most haunted house in America…

But is it really haunted or could it possibly all be a hoax? In this episode we explore the events surrounding the murders the chilling claims of paranormal activity and why skeptics and believers continue to debate the truth decades later.

In this week's episode, we go overseas, where in the summer of 2014 a man mysteriously vanished after exhibiting a bizarre change in behavior while on vacation. Captured on CCTV footage, this remains one of the most talked about missing persons cases on the internet.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Lars Mittank please contact either of the following: Investigative Agency +49 151 61378673 (tel:+4915161378673), Germany Police 110 (tel:110) or email findet_lars@web.de

Welcome back to Hot On The Case, in this week’s investigation we dive into the shocking case of Alexis Avila, the New Mexico teen caught on camera throwing her newborn into a dumpster. The baby was found hours later by chance when people heard faint cries coming from a trash bag and rushed him to safety. The case sparked national outrage and renewed conversations about safe haven laws, teen pregnancy, and how moments of desperation can lead to unthinkable choices.

Thank you so much for watching!

Pig farmer Susan Monica lived a quiet life on a remote property in a small town in rural Oregon. What investigators eventually uncovered there shocked even the most seasoned professionals. The horrors found on her pig farm raised unsettling questions about what can happen far from the public eye. After hearing this story, will you ever look at pigs the same again or trust the meat you eat?

Thank you so much for watching Hot On The Case!

"The Devil in Bellaire"

Nathan Brooks was a shy, quiet, and religious teenager who never caused trouble until the fall of 1995. His shocking crimes shattered the innocence of his small town, turning neighbors against each other and leaving kids afraid of their own friends. The mayor even canceled Halloween, and to this day, many in Bellaire believe something supernatural drove the once gentle boy to become a sinister killer

Thank you so much for watching this week's episode of Hot On The Case!

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This week’s investigation takes Hot On The Case to Australia, where one of the country’s most chilling and methodical predators once prowled the suburbs of Melbourne. Known only as “Mr. Cruel,” this faceless figure struck with precision and patience—breaking into homes, abducting young girls, and vanishing without a trace. He was careful, calculated, and terrifyingly intelligent, leaving behind almost no physical evidence and orchestrating his crimes with a level of planning that suggested he knew exactly how to avoid capture.

Despite an intense manhunt and decades of investigation, Mr. Cruel has never been identified. His crimes weren’t impulsive… they were controlled, deliberate, and designed to torment both his victims and the investigators chasing his shadow. To this day, his identity remains one of Australia’s darkest mysteries, a reminder that some monsters hide in plain sight, waiting, watching, and walking among us undetected.

In this week’s investigation Hot On The Case is going back to Halloween 2010. Across town, families were hanging decorations, carving pumpkins, and filling bowls with candy, ready to welcome eager trick-or-treaters. It was supposed to be a night of fun and laughter, the kind of night filled with costumes, flashing porch lights, and the smell of autumn in the air. But inside one quiet home, there were no tricks and there were no treats. Instead, a family had been brutally massacred in their sleep. This is the Halloween Liske Family Murders

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In this weeks episode of Hot On The Case we investigate the Dracula Killer, the Vampire of Sacramento. Richard Chase was one of the most disturbing figures in true crime history, leaving a trail of fear across California in the late nineteen seventies. Known for his obsession with blood and the gruesome nature of his crimes, Chase’s life was marked by severe mental illness, paranoia, and a descent into darkness that shocked the nation.

In this week’s investigation on Hot On The Case, we’re looking into the chilling murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart, a case that has since been tied to the infamous “Scream Killers.” In a quiet Idaho town, two disturbed teenage boys found each other in high school, bonding over their obsession with horror movies. Fueled by a dangerous fantasy, they decided to create their own “real life scary movie,” with one horrifying twist….  their 16 year old friend Cassie would become the victim.

What began as an ordinary night of house-sitting quickly turned into a nightmare. The boys stalked Cassie, documented their twisted plan on video, and brutally took her life, forever shocking their community. In this episode, we’ll break down the disturbing events leading up to the murder, the killers’ obsession with the Scream franchise, and how their own words would ultimately lead to their downfall.

On December 6, 1991, a horrific crime shocked Austin, Texas. Four teenage girls were found murdered inside a local yogurt shop, their lives cut short in a brutal attack that left the city reeling.

Despite multiple arrests and decades of investigation, the Yogurt Shop Murders remain unsolved. False confessions, botched investigations and countless dead ends have left families searching for justice and a community haunted by unanswered questions. In this week’s episode of Hot On The Case, we’re diving deep into the timeline, theories, and chilling mystery of the Yogurt Shop Murders.

austincrimestoppers.org

On this week’s episode of Hot On The Case, we’re diving into the chilling story of Dennis Rader, the man who called himself BTK. For over three decades, he tormented Wichita, Kansas, taunting investigators with cryptic letters and playing a sinister game of cat and mouse with the police. His ability to disappear between murders left authorities and the public on edge, wondering when and where he would strike again.

What made Rader even more terrifying was his double life. To neighbors, he was a respected church leader, a devoted husband, and an attentive father. But beneath that mask of normalcy hid a sadistic serial killer who derived pleasure from inflicting pain. 

Join me as we unravel how BTK managed to evade capture for so long, and how his carefully crafted facade eventually unraveled to reveal the monster behind the mask.

This week on Hot on the Case we investigate the story of Pedro Rodrigues Filho, better known as Pedrinho Matador. He is considered the most prolific vigilante serial killer of all time and one of the most prolific serial killers in history. His crimes would go on to inspire one of the most loved fictional serial killers on television, Dexter Morgan. 

But was he truly serving justice, or did he ultimately become the very monster he set out to destroy?

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/HOTC and get on your way to being your best self

This week on Hot On The Case we dive into one of the most haunting and controversial stories out of Coronado California. In July 2011 Rebecca Zahau and six year old Max Shacknai both died under mysterious circumstances in the same mansion just days apart. What followed was a storm of shocking details conflicting reports and endless debate about what really happened inside the Spreckels Mansion.

Thank you so much for watching, let me know all of your thoughts & opinions on this case!

This week on Hot On The Case, we investigate the case of Anna and Marianne Bachmeier.

In 1981, Marianne made headlines around the world when she, in a packed courtroom killed the man who murdered her 7 year old daughter.

The public first praised her, then condemned her. Was she a grieving mother seeking justice.... or a vigilante who crossed the line?

We’ll also look at the case of Gary Plauché, the father who shot his son’s abuser on live television.

Do you think vigilante justice is ever justified?