#255 - In April of 1981, the body of a young woman was found alongside a road in Troy, Ohio. She had been strangled and beaten to death. But her identity remained a mystery for almost four decades. It wasn’t until the authorities used advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy that the girl once known only as “Buckskin Girl” finally got a name. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family...

#254 - One morning in August 2007, five members of the same family were attacked inside their Powder Springs, Georgia home, leaving 3 of them dead and the other two severely injured. Even after years of investigation, the case remains unsolved today. Who is responsible for these murders? And how can forensic science bring a killer to justice? Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and...

#253 - For nearly 40 years, a teenage girl found dead on Valentine’s Day along an Arizona highway was known only as “Valentine Sally.” But now, with advancements in DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy, she has finally regained her name. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you would like to get early AD-free access to new...

#252 - Tara Grinstead was a 30-year-old history teacher from Georgia when she went missing in October 2005. Without any sighting of her for the next five years, she was legally pronounced dead, leaving many to wonder if we would ever know what happened to her. Then, over a decade later, the authorities finally got the tip they had been waiting for. But would this tip be enough for Tara’s family to finally receive the justice they so deserve? Support If you love the show, the easiest way to...

The Jordan Harbinger Show dives into the minds of fascinating people from mobsters, spies and hostage negotiators to authors and athletes. I've been listening to Jordan Harbinger and think you should check it out too.

#251 - In November 1984, 13-year-old Candace Derksen went missing on her way home from school. Her sudden disappearance sparked one of Winnipeg's most extensive searches for a missing person, lasting six and a half weeks. Twenty-two years later, a man was finally arrested for her murder. However, justice is still far from being served after concerns arose over the integrity of the forensic evidence. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a...

#250 - It’s a story often referred to in the media as “The Fitbit Murder.” In 2015, 39-year-old Connie Dabate was found shot to death inside her Connecticut basement. Her husband, 40-year-old Richard Dabata, says a masked intruder was to blame. But when the authorities examined Connie’s wearable fitness device, they suspected he was lying. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and...

#249 - On September 24, 2024, Marcellus Williams was executed by lethal injection in Missouri after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay despite prosecutors and the victim’s family asking that he be spared. Marcellus Williams was charged and convicted of murdering a St. Louis woman inside her home in August 1998 despite zero forensic evidence linking him to the brutal murder. His execution just over a week ago sparked a nationwide debate over the death penalty in the United States. Was...

#248 - In 2017, a bright and fun 21-year-old Libby was found dead in a motel room in Independence, Missouri, with her boyfriend’s belt tied around her neck. Her death was ruled a tragic suicide, but her family disagrees and is seeking answers to the many unanswered questions surrounding her death. Was this actually a case of a young woman who took her own life? Or was this the outcome of an abusive and violent relationship? And what do the forensic experts in strangulation think...

#248 - In 2017, a bright and fun 21-year-old Libby was found dead in a motel room in Independence, Missouri, with her boyfriend’s belt tied around her neck. Her death was ruled a tragic suicide, but her family disagrees and is seeking answers to the many unanswered questions surrounding her death. Was this actually a case of a young woman who took her own life? Or was this the outcome of an abusive and violent relationship? And what do the forensic experts in strangulation think...

#247 - Part 2. *If you haven't listened to Part 1, please do so before listening to this one.* In 2011, fictional romance author Nancy Brophy wrote a book called “How to Murder Your Huband.” She seemed to have a knack for writing about these things: murder and criminal investigations. But seven years later, in 2022, she found herself being accused of the very things she wrote about in her novels: Prosecutors put her on trial for killing her own husband of over 25 years.  Support If you love...

#246 - Part 1. In 2011, fictional romance author Nancy Brophy wrote a book called “How to Murder Your Huband.” She seemed to have a knack for writing about these things: murder and criminal investigations. But seven years later, in 2022, she found herself being accused of the very things she wrote about in her novels: Prosecutors put her on trial for killing her own husband of over 25 years.  Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive...

#245 - Rebecca Zahau was found dead, hanging naked, bound, and gagged, in the courtyard of her billionaire boyfriend's Coronado mansion on July 13, 2011, just two days after his six-year-old son suffered a fatal accident while under her care. Her mysterious death was ultimately ruled a suicide, but her family doesn’t believe that’s possible. In this episode, we revisit all the key forensic evidence, including both autopsies. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support...

#244 - It’s a story that’s been called by the media: “The Black Swan Murder.” In September 2020, Ashley Benefield, a former ballerina and swimsuit model, walked to her neighbor's house in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and said she shot her husband, Doug Benefield, in self-defense. But prosecutors disagreed, and four years later, she was put on trial for his murder.  What does the forensic evidence say about what really happened? Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support...

#243 - It was just after 3:00 a.m. in the middle of nowhere when Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeffrey Mitchell came across a white Chevy van with no plates. He called dispatch, saying he was about to initiate a traffic stop, and it seemed everything was “OK.” But just seven minutes later, the dispatcher heard Mitchell’s radio clicking, signaling something was really wrong. When backup officers arrived, they found Officer Mitchell lying in the road next to his patrol car. He’d been shot...

The Jordan Harbinger Show dives into the minds of fascinating people from mobsters, spies and hostage negotiators to authors and athletes. I've been listening to Jordan Harbinger and think you should check it out too.

#242 - For three years in the early 1980s, the Minnesota police were confronted with a strange case. Three women had been murdered, and another brutally attacked. After each incident, an anonymous caller, soon dubbed “The Weepy-Voiced Killer,” would call the police to confess to the crimes. Sponsors: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get 15% off with promo code COURTNEY at LumeDeodorant.com! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at...

#241 - On the afternoon of July 26, 2009, Diane Schuler sped the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway and crashed into another car, killing eight people. The toxicology report showed she consumed a large amount of alcohol prior to the accident, but her family insists something else was the cause. Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/TALES and get on your way to being your best self. Happy Mammoth. Save 15% off your entire first...

#240 - 26-year-old Marshal Iwaasa from Alberta, Canada, was just a typical guy who loved fitness and bodybuilding and had a passion for the outdoors. But on November 17, 2019, he mysteriously vanished after stopping by his storage locker. Today, his disappearance has left behind very few clues and many unanswered questions. Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/TALES and get on your way to being your best self. Happy Mammoth. Save 15%...

#239 - After failing to find a ride home from summer school, 11-year-old Linda O’Keefe decided to walk home—but she never made it back to her parents' house. The next day, her body was found along a popular running and cycling trail in Newport Beach, California. How can new DNA technology catch her killer? Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/TALES and get on your way to being your best self. Happy Mammoth. Save 15% off your entire...

#238 - In January 2022, a Boston police officer was found dead, and his girlfriend, Karen Read, was accused of killing him by backing her Lexus SUV into him and leaving him for dead in a snowstorm. But Karen Read’s supporters allege that she is the victim of an elaborate cover-up by the police. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell your family and friends about Forensic Tales. Patreon - If you...

#237 - Actress and model Felicia Tang was found dead inside her Monrovia, California, apartment in September 2009. Not long after that, the police arrested a former reality TV contestant and pastor for the crime. But when the case went to trial, the prosecution and defense couldn't agree on what the forensic evidence meant or what caused Felicia's death. Support If you love the show, the easiest way to show your support is by leaving us a positive rating with a review. You can also tell...

#236 - When Tracy Kroh left her Enterline Township, Pennsylvania home on Saturday, August 5, 1989, she didn’t expect to be gone long. She planned to drive to her sister’s home to return a barbeque grill she had borrowed and drop off some coupons she had clipped. But her sister wasn’t home when Tracy got there, so she left the items on her front porch and returned to her car. After that, Tracy was never seen again. What happened to Tracy Kroh? And is there anything forensic science can do to...

#235 - Roxanne Wood was murdered inside her Berrien County home on February 19, 1987. Her throat had been cut. Her husband found her dead after the couple had driven separately to go bowling, and Roxanne returned home first. The case went cold, and although Michigan State Police reopened it in 2001 and again in 2020, it remained unsolved. That is until students in Western Michigan University’s cold case program got involved. Support My Work If you love the show, the easiest way to show your...