Episodes

Through the 80's & 90's, women in the state of Washington were turning up dead. First, along the Green River, then in other clusters throughout the state and even into Portland, Oregon. Not only had these women been murdered but their killer would re-visit their corpses and sexually assault them multiple times until their corpses were fully decomposed and consumed by maggots. A man named Gary Ridgeway had been pointed out by a number of witnesses as being the Green River Killer but police were unable to make an arrest until DNA connected him to four crime scenes in 2001 – two decades and at least 49 victims later.

In September of 1992, a young teenager named Misty Copsey went missing after visiting the local fair in Puyallup, Washington with her best friend. Almost 26 years have passed and all we have are a handful of suspicious suspects and a pair of jeans found at a site that could be linked to a serial killer. Plus, a rogue private citizen, whose efforts to try to solve the case have become an obsession, that might actually be distracting from the real investigation.

In April of 2018, we were all talking about the capture of the Gold State Killer but did you know another long-time cold case was solved that same week? On December 29, 1999, best friends Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman were having a sleepover at Ashley's house. Sometime in the early morning hours of December 30th, Ashley's parents were murdered and their home set on fire. The two girls were never seen again. For years, theories surrounded this case. Did Someone take the girls? Were the girls responsible for one or more murders and then ran off to start new lives? Well in 2018 we finally got answers, though, as of this recording their remains have still not been found.

This week we tell you not one but two stories that have been underreported despite the terrifying audio capture shortly before each of their deaths.

In 2011, Bethany Decker's life was far from easy. As a young wife and mother with a husband overseas in the military, things were strained. When her husband comes back for a short leave, Bethany shares some shocking news and then disappears, never to be seen again.

On April 25th, 2018, a decades-long search for the man believed to be the Visalia Ransacker, the East Area Rapist, the Original Night Stalker, and the Golden State Killer was identified and apprehended by authorities. We spoke with Criminology Podcast's Mike Morford, who took us through some of the most notable factors of the crimes and arrest, and what this means for cold cases everywhere.

19-year-old Kenia Monge went missing in downtown Denver on April 1, 2011. When Kenia's stepdad finds an eerie text message from a stranger on her phone, it leads him and police right to her killer. However, without Kenia's body and no clue where she might be the only thing they could do was wait for the man to strike again.

When a young escort goes missing after an outcall on Long Island in 2010, no one bothers to search for her. No one except a single detective and his dog who while looking, stumble upon the burial ground of a serial killer... or... killers? What unfolds is one of America's greatest unsolved mysteries.

Hundreds of millions of people tuned into Serial season one back in 2014. Sarah Koenig told us all about the story of 18-year-old high school senior Hae Min Lee who disappeared on January 13th, 1999. Hae's body was later found in Leakin Park, and not too long after the discovery of her body, police zeroed in on their prime suspect: Adnan Syed. Sarah took us all through 12 episodes of "Did he or didn't he?" and many of us ended the season with more questions than answers. But did you know that Serial was just the beginning and there was so much that Sarah never covered? If you listened to Serial season one, you must listen to this single episode that sums up the top four points Serial didn't tell you, but you need to know before you decide whether or not you think Adnan is guilty. We won't be re-covering the Serial story - we jump in assuming you already know it. So, if you haven't listened yet, check out the first season of Serial.

In this bonus episode, we get the opportunity to talk with April Tinsley’s mom, Janet, about the investigation into her daughter’s murder and the torment April's killer has put her family, and the city of Fort Wayne through. Be sure to listen to episode 18, WANTED: Monster in Fort Wayne, Indiana, before you listen to this update episode. Source: Interview with Janet Tinsley conducted by Ashley Flowers

Thirty years ago this week, a little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was abducted, sexually assaulted, murdered and now, forgotten by everyone. It is one of the most horrific crimes we've ever researched, and yet when we ask people if they know about April Tinsley, we only get blank stares. This man, who police believed was local, not only committed the crime, but taunted police and the community for 16 years after. He could still be walking among us - You could very well know him.

In 1995, one of our listeners from Kentucky was high school pen pals with a girl named Kiplyn Davis from Spanish Fork, Utah, when one day the Spanish Fork Police called looking for answers. Kiplyn had gone missing. Kiplyn's story takes over 16 years to unfold and even though a few young men have been accused of and pled guilty to murder, no one has ever found Kiplyn or her remains.

What makes a seemingly normal family man snap, murder his entire family, and assume a new identity in Mexico? Christian Longo was a husband, and father of three kids, who moved his family to Oregon to escape legal and money trouble he had accrued back in Michigan. But the new start didn't take away the pressure of supporting a family on a part-time, minimum wage income. One December day, Christian's family is found in the most horrific ways and Christian is nowhere to be found. The prosecution and the public seem pretty clear on what took place the day the Longo family died, but Christian's surprise story after he goes to trial is just his final way of disgracing his family.

In December of 2015, Katelin was to board a plane from VA to AZ. She texted her mom that she made it to the airport and her phone was dying, so she would text later. But Katelin never made it on that flight and she has never been seen since. The investigation into her disappearance will make you question everything about Katelin's last day and by the end, you won't know who's account can be trusted.

In the late 90s, Indianapolis was rocked when it was found out that a local businessman was murdering gay men and burying them on his 15-acre estate called Fox Hollow Farms.

In this bonus episode we get the opportunity to talk with Niqui McCown’s daughter, Payton, and get all our left over questions from episode one answered!

A 35-year-old woman named Crystal Rogers went missing from Bardstown, KY back in 2015. Her car was found on the side of a busy parkway with a flat tire, keys, wallet, and phone still inside. Just 16 months later, while searching for answers, Crystal's father is murdered in cold blood. Now, people are wondering if these two crimes are connected to a bigger conspiracy that started with the murder of a police officer in 2013. Could all of these seemingly different attacks be related?

On May 17, 1968, a woman was found in the woods, murdered and wrapped in tent fabric. For over 30 years she remained unidentified in a Kentucky grave with a donated headstone that bore the name "Tent Girl". But 90s internet and a superhero named Todd come together to give this girl a name and give her family the answers they waited so many decades for.

On February 13th, 2017, Abby Williams and Libby German went for a hike near the Monon High Bridge, in Delphi, Indiana. After Libby posted a Snapchat photo of Abby at 2:07 pm, the girls were never seen alive again. Searchers found their bodies near a creek parallel to the bridge less than 24 hours later on Valentine's Day. The investigation that has since ensued has left an entire nation searching for the Killer on the High Bridge.

A teenage mother stays home from school one day with her daughter because she isn't feeling well. Just a few hours after her family leaves the house she is brutally attacked. Surely it had to be someone she knew. Did they know she would be home that day? It is a case that goes cold for nearly two decades before someone unexpected comes in and cracks the case wide open.

Bryce Laspisa started acting strange on August 27, 2013. Just a couple of days into his sophomore year, friends started to become concerned about his unusual behavior. He planned a trip home to visit his parents and what should have been a 7-hour journey turns into 30-hours of mystery that leave police and Bryce's family baffled when on August 30th at 5:30 am Bryce's vehicle is found overturned with no sign of Bryce.

Shawn Grate is currently awaiting trial in Ohio for two counts of murder but his admitted body count is much more. From 2005 - 2016 he terrorized vulnerable women of Ohio but police had no idea. Shawn Grate murdered woman police didn't even consider missing and it wasn't until one day in September when an unthinkable call to 911 changed everything.

In 1996, Boston saw one of the most brutal, and now notorious, murders of their city. Over 20 years later, not many people outside of Boston know the name of the Swedish nanny who was brutally murdered, dismembered and thrown away with the garbage on an early August morning. Karina had secrets and shortly before her death she wrote a letter to her friend in Sweden and shared something that would forever haunt those who learn about this case.

Robert William Fisher is an American fugitive wanted for the murder of his wife and two children. Their home in Scottsdale, Arizona was blown up on April 10, 2001, in an attempt to cover up the crimes. However, no one has seen or heard from Robert since before his family was murdered. Was he the one who killed them? Or could he be a victim too?