Forensic Tales

Επεισόδια

• Diane Schuler: The Wrong-Way Crash Mystery (Archive) 04.06.2026 39λ

  From the Forensic Tales Archive: In this episode, we revisit the tragic and mysterious case of Diane Schuler and the 2009 Taconic State Parkway crash. What caused a seemingly responsible mother to drive the wrong way down a New York highway, killing eight people and leaving behind one of the most debated true crime mysteries in modern history?
• The Murder of Oakey “Al” Kite 01.06.2026 38λ

  #335 - When 53-year-old Oakey Kite, who went by Al, failed to show up for work on May 24th, 2004, his coworkers immediately knew something was wrong. Concerned, they went to his townhouse in Aurora to check on him where they discovered a crime scene so brutal, investigators would never forget it. Al had been restrained, tortured for hours, and ultimately murdered inside his own home by a man posing as a prospective tenant. The killer meticulously cleaned the scene, erased much of the evidence, and vanished without a trace leaving behind only fragments of forensic evidence and a fake identity that would send investigators across multiple countries. More than two decades later, the murder of Al Kite remains one of Colorado’s most disturbing unsolved cases. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• The Abduction of Angela Hammond 25.05.2026 37λ

  #334 - In April 1991, 20-year-old Angela Hammond stood alone outside a grocery store in Clinton, Missouri, talking to her fiancé on a payphone late at night. She mentioned seeing a strange truck circling the parking lot, but they both shrugged it off.  Moments later, Angela’s fiancé heard her scream, and the line went dead. The payphone was only a few blocks away, so he jumped in his car and sped toward the woman he planned to marry. But he was too late. Angela was never seen alive again.  Over 30 years later, her story remains one of the mysterious disappearances in Missouri history. And despite a vehicle description and a timeline, the case was haunted by one major problem: there was almost no forensic evidence left behind. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• The Murder of Michelle O’Keefe: Convicted Without Evidence 18.05.2026 46λ

  #333 - In February 2000, 18-year-old college student Michelle O’Keefe was on her way home from appearing in a Kid Rock music video when she was gunned down inside her car. A security guard named Raymond Jennings was eventually arrested and charged with Michelle’s murder, and after three separate trials, he was sentenced to life in prison. On paper, it seemed like an open-and-shut case. But the deeper you look, the forensic evidence seems to tell a very different story.  So what really happened to Michelle in that parking lot? Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• The Murder of Stacey Stites: Does DNA Prove Murder? 11.05.2026 41λ

  #332 - In April 1996, a motorist traveling along a rural road in Bastrop County, Texas, made a disturbing discovery. Lying in a grassy ditch along the roadside was the body of a young woman. Her clothing was partially removed, and a belt had been tightened around her neck. She would soon be identified as 19-year-old Stacey Stites. Just hours earlier, Stacey had been reported missing after she failed to show up for her early morning shift at the local grocery store.  DNA evidence collected at the scene pointed to a man named Rodney Reed. But nearly three decades later, the question still remains: Did investigators convict the right man? Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• The Disappearance of Lauren Spierer 04.05.2026 36λ

  #331 - On the early morning of June 3, 2011, 20-year-old Indiana University student Lauren Spierer disappeared after a night out with friends in downtown Bloomington, Indiana. Investigators were able to reconstruct much of Lauren’s final hours using surveillance footage, witness statements, and digital timelines. But despite knowing many of the places she went and the people she was with that night, Lauren seemingly vanished just blocks from her own apartment. More than a decade later, her disappearance remains unsolved. In this episode of Forensic Tales, we examine the timeline of Lauren Spierer’s final night, the key investigative clues, and the unanswered questions that still haunt this case. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio Production. The show is written & produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• “Is Dorothy Home?” - The Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott 27.04.2026 48λ

  For months, Dorothy Jane Scott received anonymous phone calls from a man who said he was watching her. He knew where she worked. He knew where she went at night. Sometimes he even described the clothes she had worn that day… or the car she was driving. At first, Dorothy tried to ignore the calls. But they kept coming. Sometimes the caller sounded angry. Other times, almost obsessed. On one occasion, he told her he was going to cut her up into pieces. Dorothy was terrified. She started taking self-defense classes and even considered buying a gun. But whoever was calling always remained anonymous. Then, on the night of May 28, 1980, Dorothy drove a coworker to the hospital after he had been bitten by a spider. After parking her white Toyota station wagon, she went inside with him. A short time later, Dorothy stepped outside to bring the car around to the front entrance. But instead of pulling up to the hospital doors, her car suddenly sped through the parking lot… and disappeared into the night. Dorothy Jane Scott was never seen alive again. And in the years that followed, the phone calls didn’t stop. But now, they were coming to her family. Each time, the caller asked the same chilling question: “Is Dorothy home?” If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes, exclusive bonus content, and monthly extra episodes. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• Lauren Agee: The Mysterious Death at WakeFest 20.04.2026 49λ

  #329 - In July of 2015, thousands of people gathered along the river for a weekend of music, camping, and wakeboarding. The annual event known as WakeFest was supposed to be a carefree summer getaway, a place where friends could relax, drink, and enjoy the water. But by the end of that weekend, one of the campers would be dead. Twenty-one-year-old Lauren Agee had been camping on a steep cliff overlooking the river with friends she trusted. Sometime during the night, she disappeared from the campsite. Hours later, her body was discovered hundreds of feet below in the water. At first, investigators believed it was a tragic accident, that Lauren had fallen from the cliff in the dark. But when her family began asking questions, they uncovered troubling details that didn’t seem to add up. Injuries that appeared inconsistent with a simple fall. A chaotic campsite. Conflicting witness statements. And a crime scene that many believe was never properly investigated. More than a decade later, the circumstances surrounding Lauren’s death remain fiercely debated. Was it truly an accident? Or did something far more sinister happen on that cliff that night? Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. You can also watch Forensic Tales on YouTube. Just search Forensic Tales Podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• The Oklahoma Peeping Tom Killer: The Murder of Gary Larson 13.04.2026 38λ

  #328 - When police in Oklahoma got a call from a woman saying a man wearing only gloves and a pair of underwear broke into her house, killed her boyfriend, and tortured her for hours, it seemed almost too far-fetched to be true. But as detectives combed through the forensic evidence at the scene, it seemed to line up perfectly with her story. What they didn’t realize at the time was that this brutal attack was connected to a predator who had been quietly slipping in and out of homes for years — watching, stalking, and committing crimes no one ever saw coming. For nearly two decades, he managed to evade capture. And when investigators finally uncovered who he was, the truth revealed a disturbing pattern: a man who had been hiding in plain sight while secretly living a double life as a voyeur, a prowler… and eventually, a killer. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. You can also watch Forensic Tales on YouTube. Just search Forensic Tales Podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• The Gerhardt Konig Trial: The Verdict 09.04.2026 28λ

  The verdict is in. In this special episode of Forensic Tales, we take a closer look at the trial of Gerhardt Konig, the Hawaii doctor accused of violently attacking his wife during a hike earlier this year. Prosecutors argued that the assault was deliberate and brutal, pointing to physical evidence and testimony presented during the trial. The defense, however, painted a very different picture, suggesting the events unfolded in a far more complicated way. Over the course of the trial, jurors heard testimony about the timeline of the attack, the injuries involved, and the forensic evidence that investigators used to reconstruct what happened that day. Now, after days of testimony and deliberation, the jury has reached its decision. In this episode, we’ll break down the key moments from the trial, the arguments from both sides, the forensic evidence presented in court, and the verdict that ultimately decided Gerhardt Konig’s fate. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content for as low as $3/month. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. You can also watch Forensic Tales on YouTube. Just search Forensic Tales Podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• Robert Roberson 06.04.2026 40λ

  #327 - For years, prosecutors across the United States relied on a diagnosis known as Shaken Baby Syndrome to explain the sudden deaths of infants and toddlers. In many cases, that diagnosis became the foundation for criminal convictions. But over time, some doctors and forensic experts began questioning the science behind it. In 2002, a two-year-old girl in Texas died after being rushed to the hospital. Her father was later accused of shaking her to death and was ultimately sentenced to death. More than twenty years later, his case has become part of a growing debate over whether some convictions may have relied on flawed or misunderstood evidence. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. You can also watch Forensic Tales on YouTube. Just search Forensic Tales Podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• Mackenzie Cowell 30.03.2026 36λ

  #326 - When a 17-year-old beauty school student went missing in February 2010, the residents of a small Washington town were left stunned. Then just days later, the teen's body was discovered by a passerby on the banks of the Columbia River. What began as a desperate search quickly turned into something far more disturbing—an investigation filled with false leads, unsettling rumors, and a suspect hiding in plain sight. Because in this case… the answers weren’t just buried in secrets. They were written in the forensic evidence.  This is the murder of Mackenzie Cowell. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• BREAKING: Arrest Made in the Lovers Lane Murders 28.03.2026 14λ

  Five years ago, I covered the murders of Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson, the case often referred to as the Lovers Lane Murders. At the time, the case remained unsolved and was widely considered one of Houston's most notorious cold murder cases. But this week, more than thirty years later, investigators announced something that many people thought might never happen: an arrest. This is a Forensic Tales Bonus Episode on the Lovers Lane Murders. a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. You can also watch Forensic Tales on YouTube. Just search Forensic Tales Podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• Cathy Swartz 23.03.2026 44λ

  #325 - When the body of a 19-year-old mother was discovered murdered inside her apartment in 1988, the residents of Three Rivers, Michigan, were shocked. But the brutal details of her murder weren’t the one thing that left people in the community on the edge. It was the fact that when the young mother’s body was discovered by her fiancé, the victim’s eight-month-old daughter was found still sleeping in her crib in the bedroom next door. But without any solid leads, the investigation quickly turned cold. And the victim’s family would have to wait over three decades and new advancements in forensic science technology to finally get justice. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. You can also watch Forensic Tales on YouTube. Just search Forensic Tales Podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you next week. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• SPECIAL EPISODE: A Forensic Breakdown of the Kouri Richins Trial 17.03.2026 31λ

  In March 2022, 39-year-old Eric Richins was found unresponsive in his Utah home. His death was initially believed to be the result of a fentanyl overdose, a tragic loss for his family. But what followed would shock investigators. Eric’s wife, Kouri Richins, later published a children’s book about grief, written to help her young sons cope with the sudden loss of their father. At first glance, it seemed like a story of heartbreak and healing. Until questions began to surface. As investigators dug deeper, the case took a dramatic turn, one that would ultimately lead to charges and a high-profile trial. In this special episode of Forensic Tales, we break down the trial from a forensic perspective, examining the toxicology findings, digital evidence, and key testimony presented in court. From the prosecution’s theory to the defense’s strategy, we walk through the most critical moments that shaped this case. What did the forensic evidence really reveal? And how did it influence the outcome of the trial? Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by me, Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. You can also watch Forensic Tales on YouTube. Just search Forensic Tales Podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. Remember...not all stories have happy endings.
• Shirley Ramey 16.03.2026 38λ

  #324 - It was supposed to be a normal night for 78-year-old Shirley Ramey and her husband of 57 years, Daryl, from Hope, Idaho. Daryl went to play cards with friends while Shirley stayed inside at their quiet home near the Canadian border. But when Daryl returned home that evening with a bacon cheeseburger she had asked for, he found the sliding glass door open and Shirley lying on the floor in a pool of blood. His wife of nearly six decades had been shot twice at close range. But just when the police thought they had everything figured out, the case went ice-cold.  Who would want a 78-year-old wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother dead?  Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written & produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. Forensic Tales is now on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe for even more content. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com.
• Stella Nickell 09.03.2026 34λ

  #323 - In 1986, a Washington woman was convicted of intentionally killing two people with cyanide-laced extra-strength Excedrin capsules. One of the victims was her very own husband. The other was a complete stranger.  Her conviction and 90-year prison sentence became the first under federal product tampering laws instituted after the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders that killed at least 7 people.  Is she a victim of a system that got it wrong during a time when people were paranoid of product tampering? Or is she guilty as charged? Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written & produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. You can also watch Forensic Tales on YouTube. Just search Forensic Tales Podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Until then… remember: not all stories have happy endings.
• Melissa Lucio 02.03.2026 37λ

  #322 - In 2007, two-year-old Mariah Alvarez was rushed to a hospital in Brownsville, Texas. She wasn’t breathing. Doctors were unable to revive her. Within hours, suspicion turned toward her mother, Melissa Lucio. After a lengthy interrogation, Melissa said four words that prosecutors would later present as a confession. She was charged with capital murder, convicted, and sentenced to death. But over the years, serious questions have been raised about the case from the forensic conclusions surrounding Mariah’s death, to the interrogation tactics used by investigators, to testimony the jury never heard. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you’d like to support the show and help fund research, production, and editing, you can do so with a small monthly contribution on Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content. You can learn more at Patreon.com/ForensicTales. You can also watch Forensic Tales on YouTube. Just search Forensic Tales Podcast and be sure to subscribe. And if you enjoy the show, leaving a positive rating or review really helps others discover it. For a full list of sources used in this episode, visit ForensicTales.com. Remember... not all stories have happy endings.
• Johnia Berry 23.02.2026 33λ

  #321 - In December 2004, 21-year-old Johnia Berry was attacked inside her Knoxville, Tennessee apartment. The crime scene raised more questions than answers. There were no clear signs of forced entry. The weapon came from inside the home. And despite the brutality of the attack, there was no obvious motive. Investigators initially focused on someone close to her, but forensic evidence would soon complicate that theory. A partial fingerprint. A single shoe print. And an unidentified DNA profile left behind at the scene. For years, the case seemed stalled. Then, an unexpected lead shifted the investigation in a new direction. In this episode of Forensic Tales, we examine the forensic evidence, the missteps, the turning points, and the lasting impact this case had on DNA laws in Tennessee. Because sometimes the science speaks clearly even when the “why” never does. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you'd like to support the show and gain access to exclusive content, early and ad-free episodes, please consider joining the show's Patreon. You can support the show for as low as $3/month. Subscribe to Forensic Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen so you don't miss an episode. Also, be sure to follow us on YouTube. If you love the show, please leave a positive review or tell friends and family about us. For a complete list of sources used in this episode, visit our website. Remember... Not all stories have happy endings...
• Fred Engel 16.02.2026 25λ

  #320 - In 2008, a South Carolina man disappeared while checking his mail outside his home. His body was soon found in nearby woods, and an autopsy revealed he had been strangled to death. At first, the police had few suspects. But right before the case turned cold, investigators did something outside the box. They turned to cell phone forensics. Forensic Tales is a Rockefeller Audio production. The show is written and produced by Courtney Fretwell. If you'd like to support the show and get access to early, ad-free episodes, consider joining the show's Patreon page. You can support the show for as little as $3/month. For a complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit our website. Listen on YouTube: Search Forensic Tales and subscribe.