As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering John Stevens and Michelle Mishcon Stevens with me today.
In August 2016, 19-year-old college student Austin Harrouff violently attacked and killed John Stevens III and Michelle Mishcon outside their Florida home. Police arrived to find Harrouff on top of Stevens, biting his face and exhibiting extreme strength. Toxicology reports showed no signs of common drugs.
Later diagnosed with acute psychosis, Harrouff claimed he believed he was “half-man, half-dog” at the time of the attack. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder for injuring a neighbor who tried to intervene.
In 2022, a judge accepted an insanity defense, and Harrouff was found not guilty by reason of insanity, ordered to be held indefinitely in a secure psychiatric facility.
The case became widely known as the “face-eating murder” and sparked nationwide conversation about psychosis, substance use, and criminal responsibility.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Molly McLaren with me today.
In June 2017, 23-year-old university student Molly McLaren was brutally murdered in broad daylight in a parking lot in Kent, England, by her ex-boyfriend Joshua Stimpson. Just 12 days earlier, Molly had ended their relationship after noticing increasingly controlling and obsessive behavior. She later reported him to police after he began stalking and harassing her online.
On the day of her death, Molly noticed Stimpson following her car. As she sat in her vehicle outside a gym, he attacked her with a knife, stabbing her more than 70 times while bystanders looked on helplessly. It was later revealed he had searched online for information on how to kill and what sentence he might receive.
At trial, Stimpson claimed diminished responsibility due to mental health issues, but the jury rejected this. He was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 26 years.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Barbara Olson with me today.
In 2014, a quiet neighborhood in El Cajon, California, was shaken when 12-year-old Raven Juarez and her 13-year-old friend Monique Trevino ambushed Raven’s grandmother, Barbara Olsen, inside her home. The girls had planned the attack days in advance, convinced that killing Barbara would allow them to run away together and start a new life.
Barbara, who had been caring for Raven, had no idea what her granddaughter was plotting. When she walked into her house, the two girls attacked her, leaving her gravely injured. Barbara survived the assault long enough to call 911 and identify her attackers, a detail that stunned both the community and investigators.
The case exposed a disturbing mixture of teenage fantasy, manipulation, and violent intent. Both girls were arrested and charged with attempted murder. In court, prosecutors revealed text messages and detailed plans showing the attack was premeditated. Both teens were ultimately sentenced to several years in juvenile custody.
As always, thank you for hanging out talking about John Hinckley Jr. with me today.
On March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, 25-year-old John Hinckley Jr. opened fire on U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley’s bullets struck four people, including Reagan himself, who was hit in the chest but survived.
Investigators soon uncovered a disturbing motive: Hinckley had become obsessed with actress Jodie Foster after seeing her in the film Taxi Driver. Believing he could impress her, he planned the assassination attempt to gain her attention.
At trial, Hinckley’s defense argued he suffered from severe mental illness. In 1982, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed indefinitely to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.
After more than three decades of treatment and supervision, Hinckley was granted full release in 2022, sparking renewed debate about mental health, fame, and accountability in high-profile crimes.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Maria Eugenia Munoz with me today.
On September 22, 2020, 31-year-old Maria Muñoz, a stay-at-home mother in Laredo, Texas, was found unresponsive after her husband called 911 claiming she had overdosed. What seemed like a tragic accident soon revealed dark secrets.
Toxicology results uncovered seven powerful anesthetic drugs, including one typically administered only via IV and no evidence of the pill he claimed she took. Investigators learned Maria’s husband, Joel Pellot, a nurse anesthetist, had access to controlled substances and had deleted CCTV footage and tampered with the crime scene.
Maria’s own journals painted a different picture: she was preparing for a future, asking for “prayers” the night before their scheduled talk about their marriage.
In March 2023, after a nine-day trial, Pellot was found guilty of murder and evidence tampering, and sentenced to life in prison.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Robert Whitwell with me today. In August 2016, 19-year-old Brittney Jade Dwyer traveled from Queensland to Adelaide with her friend, Bernadette Hoang, to visit her grandfather, 81-year-old Robert Whitwell. But the visit wasn’t out of love, it was part of a plan. Brittney wanted the $100,000 inheritance she believed she was entitled to, and she was willing to kill to get it.
When she arrived at his home, Robert welcomed her with warmth and trust, completely unaware of her intentions. Brittney later confessed that she hesitated for hours, even watching TV with him, before finally stabbing him to death in his living room.
After the murder, Brittney and Bernadette fled, leaving Robert’s body behind and attempting to cover their tracks. But phone messages, CCTV, and the pair’s own conversations quickly exposed the truth.
In 2017, Brittney Dwyer was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 21 years. Bernadette Hoang received 6 years for her role in planning the crime.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Channon Christian and Chris Newsom with me today.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Cherica Adams with me today.
In November 1999, 24-year-old Cherica Adams, who was eight months pregnant, was shot four times while driving through Charlotte, North Carolina. Before she lost consciousness, Cherica was able to call 911 and name the man responsible for setting her up, her boyfriend, former NFL player Rae Carruth.
Investigators learned that Carruth had orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot to avoid paying child support. He arranged for another man, Van Brett Watkins, to ambush Cherica as they drove in separate cars. Cherica survived long enough to give birth to her son, Chancellor, who suffered permanent brain damage due to lack of oxygen following the shooting. Cherica died a month later from her injuries.
At trial, Carruth was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison. He was released in 2018. The shooter, Watkins, received a life sentence.
Cherica’s legacy lives on through her son, who is cared for by Cherica’s mother and continues to inspire people with his resilience and strength.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Michelle Camile DeMarzo with me today.
In June 1978, 18-year-old Michelle DeMarzo was found brutally murdered at a conservation center in Cranford, New Jersey, nude, bludgeoned, and surrounded by signs of extreme violence.
Her former boyfriend, Neil Costanzo, who had known Michelle for years and from whom she had broken up a while earlier, was arrested and charged with her murder.
The killing rocked the community, turning a suburban high school graduation season into a scene of horror and fear. To this day, the case stands as a chilling reminder of how violence can shatter lives and the innocence of youth.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering the Broaddus family with me today. In June 2014, Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased a $1.35 million home at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey. Just days after closing, but before they even moved in, they received the first of several anonymous letters addressed to “The New Owner” from someone calling themselves “The Watcher.”
The letters claimed the house had been “watched” by the sender’s family for generations, referenced the Broaddus children as “young blood,” and threatened that the homeowners would be drawn into the sender’s plans.
Over the next several years, the family was terrorised with more letters, hired private investigators and ex-FBI agents, and ultimately never moved in. In July 2019 they sold the house at a loss, after spending five years haunted by unanswered questions and no identified perpetrator.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Holly Lynn Bobo with me today.
In April 2011, 20-year-old nursing student Holly Lynn Bobo disappeared from her family home in rural Darden, Tennessee, after being led into the woods by a man wearing camouflage.
Nearly three years later, partial remains were discovered in a remote area of Decatur County. The autopsy confirmed she died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
In September 2017, Zachary Adams was found guilty of kidnapping, rape and murder in Holly’s case and was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 50 years.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Georgia Williams with me today.
In May 2013, 17-year-old Georgia Williams disappeared after visiting the home of her friend, 23-year-old Jamie Reynolds, in Shropshire, England. What seemed like an innocent visit quickly turned into a premeditated murder.
Reynolds, obsessed with violent sexual fantasies, lured Georgia to his house under false pretenses, where he attacked and strangled her. He filmed part of the assault and later disposed of her body in woodland more than 100 miles away.
When police arrested him, they discovered hundreds of disturbing images, violent writings, and a detailed plan outlining Georgia’s murder. Prosecutors described the crime as “cold, calculated, and sexually motivated.”
In 2014, Jamie Reynolds pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison with a whole-life order, ensuring he will never be released.
In January 2010, 45-year-old Fiona Donnison walked into a police station in Heathfield, East Sussex, and told officers she had killed her children. Hours earlier, she had smothered her two young children, 3-year-old Harry and 2-year-old Elise, then packed their bodies into holdalls and locked them in the boot of her car.
Investigators revealed the murders were part of a calculated plan to inflict maximum pain on her former partner. Prosecutors described her as using the children as “ultimate pawns,” driven by a mix of jealousy, rage, and entitlement.
At trial, her defence argued severe depression and diminished responsibility, but the jury found her guilty of murder. In 2011 she was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 32 years in prison.
In May 2001, 30-year-old U.S. Army Captain Lynn Armstrong Reister, six months pregnant and stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, was found brutally murdered in her home: her throat deeply slashed, and her unborn child lost with her.
Investigators uncovered a chilling conspiracy: her husband Roger Reister and his brother Rodney Reister allegedly planned her killing so that Roger could avoid divorce, retain custody of their son, and benefit from life insurance proceeds. A bloody palm print at the scene matched Rodney’s.
Both brothers were eventually convicted, Roger received life in prison for solicitation of murder, and Rodney was found guilty of murder
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Marilynn Lee McClenahen with me today.
On April 15, 1990, 48-year-old Marilynn Lee McClenahen, also known as Marilynn DePue, disappeared from her home in Coldwater, Michigan, after a heated argument with her ex-husband, Dennis DePue. That afternoon, Dennis came to pick up their children, but when they refused to go with him, the situation escalated. He brutally beat Marilynn in the basement before loading her into his van and driving away.
The next day, her body was discovered off the side of a rural road, she had been shot in the back of the head. Dennis went on the run, sparking a statewide manhunt. The case gained national attention when it was featured on Unsolved Mysteries in 1991, leading to numerous tips that eventually exposed his location. When police surrounded him in Mississippi, Dennis took his own life before he could be arrested.
This case remains one of the most haunting domestic homicide stories of the early 1990s, a chilling reminder of how rage, loss, and control can end in irreversible tragedy.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Lauren Hugelmaier with me today.
In September 2017, 29-year-old Lauren Hugelmaier Phelps was found brutally murdered in her Raleigh, North Carolina home. Her husband, Matthew Phelps, called 911 claiming he “had a dream” and found her dead, with blood all over him and a knife on the bed.
The autopsy revealed Lauren had been stabbed 123 times, her body riddled with wounds to her head, neck, torso, and arms. Evidence would later show Matthew had financial conflicts and secret obsessions that fueled the violence.
At trial, Phelps pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in October 2018, foregoing the death penalty, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Shanda Renee Sharer with me today.
In January 1992, 12-year-old Shanda Renee Sharer was brutally abducted, tortured, and murdered by four teenage girls in Madison, Indiana. The crime was fueled by jealousy and rivalry, one girl believed Shanda was encroaching on her romantic relationship.
Shanda was lured under false pretenses, restrained, beaten, stabbed, and ultimately set on fire. The perpetrators left her body in a remote field; investigators believed they tried to conceal her identity by burning her face and hands.
All four assailants were charged as adults. Melinda Loveless and Laurie Tackett received 60-year sentences; Hope Rippey got 35 years; Toni Lawrence was sentenced to 20 years.
In 2008 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, 18-year-old Kia Johnson, who was 36 weeks pregnant, disappeared. She was later found murdered, and her unborn child was stolen from her womb. The perpetrator, Andrea Curry-Demus, had lured Kia to her apartment under false pretenses, then performed the horrific act before attempting to pass the baby off as her own. Kia’s body was discovered in Curry-Demus’s apartment.
Curry-Demus was found guilty of second-degree murder with a verdict of “guilty, mentally ill.”
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Steven Robards with me today. Dorothy Marie Robards was just 16 years old when she secretly laced her father’s dinner with barium acetate, a toxic chemical she stole from her high school chemistry lab. What seemed like a sudden heart attack in 1993 turned out to be a carefully planned murder, committed by an honor roll student who wanted only one thing, to live with her mother. For over a year, Marie Robards’ dark secret stayed buried… until a tearful confession to a friend unraveled the entire case.In this disturbing episode, we dive deep into the shocking true crime story of Marie Robards, the Texas teen who poisoned her father and nearly got away with it. We'll explore how forensic science, a preserved tissue sample, and one friend's conscience brought the truth to light. If you're interested in true crime cases involving teenage killers, parent-child murders, and chilling stories of high-achieving students turned murderers, this is a case you won’t forget.
As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Dawn and Richard Heikkila with me today. On January 30, 1991, Dawn and Richard Heikkila were discovered murdered after a welfare check was requested by Dawn's coworkers. Their son, Matthew Heikkila, initially told coworkers his parents had left due to a family emergency involving his brother at Dartmouth, but immediately, they were not buying it. When police entered the couple's New Jersey home, they found Dawn, a successful real estate agent, and Richard, a prominent Parkinson’s disease researcher, shot to death.. with a sawed-off shotgun and slugs that were labeled.. "Mom" and "Mom and Dad." This gruesome double murder stunned the local community and led investigators to quickly focus on the couples own son, Matthew, as the prime suspect.