Nightwatch Files

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• 
  #53: The Disappearance of Yingying Zhang 09.08.2026 1ч 33мин

  On June 9, 2017, 26-year-old Yingying Zhang was a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, building a new life thousands of miles from her home in China.That afternoon, Yingying left campus to meet with a landlord about an apartment. She never arrived.Surveillance footage captured her waiting beside a road. Moments later, a dark-colored Saturn Astra pulled up. Yingying approached the vehicle, spoke briefly with the driver, and got inside.It was the last confirmed sighting of her.What followed was an urgent investigation spanning the University of Illinois campus, local law enforcement, federal authorities, and Yingying's family, who had traveled from China in the desperate hope of finding her.As investigators reconstructed her movements that afternoon, seemingly ordinary details became critical: a missed bus, a vehicle captured on surveillance, phone records, and a sequence of events that would gradually reveal just how little time had passed between Yingying's disappearance and the beginning of the search.30 days free on Audible: https://amzn.to/3RqtIlFBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #52: Echoes in the Ice House - The Unlikely Lead That Cracked a 2005 Murder 02.08.2026 1ч 40мин

  On the morning of April 6, 2005, Irene White was found murdered inside her home in Dundalk, Ireland.As investigators began examining Irene’s troubled marriage, a bitter dispute over a valuable property, and the threats she had reported in the months before her death, a far more disturbing picture began to emerge.What followed was a sprawling investigation that would stretch across more than a decade, uncovering allegations of manipulation, betrayal, and a carefully arranged murder that had remained hidden in plain sight.The Ice House Murder by Robin Schiller and Pat Marry Audiobook on Audible: https://amzn.to/3TnDUflThe Ice House Murder by Robin Schiller and Pat Marry Trade Paperback: https://amzn.to/4blLGwr30-day Free Trial of Audible: https://amzn.to/3RqtIlFBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #51: The Terry King Murder - How a Predator Turned a Family Against Itself 26.07.2026 1ч 20мин

  In 2001, 40-year-old Terry King was found brutally murdered inside his home in Cantonment, Florida. At first glance, investigators believed they were looking at a straightforward homicide. But as the investigation unfolded, it exposed a disturbing web of manipulation, child exploitation, and one of the most controversial prosecutions in modern Florida history.In this episode of Nightwatch Files, we examine the lives of Terry's sons, Alex and Derek King, and the influence of Ricky Chavis, a convicted child predator who spent years grooming vulnerable boys before becoming deeply embedded in the King family's life. We follow the investigation from the crime scene to the interrogation room, unravel the conflicting confessions, and explore how prosecutors presented contradictory theories in separate trials to secure convictions.The King case became a landmark legal controversy, raising difficult questions about juvenile justice, coerced confessions, prosecutorial ethics, and the long-term effects of childhood trauma. More than two decades later, it remains one of Florida's most debated murder cases—not only because of what happened on the night Terry King died, but because of everything that led up to it.A Perversion of Justice: A Southern Tragedy of Murder, Lies and Innocence Betrayed by Kathryn Medico, Mollye Barrows - https://amzn.to/4vQ9dgjBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #50: The Christine Jessop Case - How DNA Finally Solved a 36-Year-Old Murder 19.07.2026 1ч 28мин

  In October 1984, nine-year-old Christine Jessop vanished from her quiet Ontario neighborhood. Three months later, her body was discovered in a wooded area more than 50 kilometers away, launching one of the most controversial murder investigations in Canadian history.Decades later, a revolutionary breakthrough in forensic genetic genealogy would finally uncover the truth and force a nation to confront the cost of investigative tunnel vision.In this episode, we examine the murder of Christine Jessop, the failures, and the DNA technology that ultimately solved a case once thought impossible to close.Listener discretion is advised.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #49: The Rock Star Who Stole a Rembrandt From the Boston MFA 21.06.2026 1ч 6мин

  In April 1975, a Rembrandt painting worth millions was stolen from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts in a daring daylight robbery.The man at the center of the theft was Myles Connor Jr.—a rock musician, master thief, prison escapee, and one of the most fascinating criminals in American history. Facing years behind bars, Connor hatched an unprecedented plan: steal a masterpiece and use it as a bargaining chip against the justice system itself.The result was one of the most remarkable art crimes ever committed in the United States, involving secret negotiations, undercover meetings, organized crime figures, and a stolen painting that became more valuable as a hostage than as a work of art.In this episode, we examine the 1975 Rembrandt Heist, the criminal career of Myles Connor, and the lasting impact the case had on the world of art theft—including its surprising connections to the infamous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum robbery.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #48: The Real Amityville Horror - The DeFeo Murders and the Birth of a Legend 14.06.2026 1ч 18мин

  The Amityville Horror is one of the most famous paranormal stories ever told. Books, movies, television specials, and decades of media coverage have transformed a suburban house on Long Island into a global symbol of supernatural terror.But before the haunting claims, there was a real crime.In the early hours of November 13, 1974, six members of the DeFeo family were murdered inside their home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York. The shocking killings made headlines across the country and raised questions that continue to be debated decades later. Just over a year later, the Lutz family moved into the same house and claimed they experienced a series of terrifying events that forced them to flee after only 28 days.In this episode, we separate fact from folklore as we examine the true crime story behind the Amityville legend. From the troubled life of Ronald DeFeo Jr. and the murders that shocked Long Island, to the haunting claims of George and Kathy Lutz and the controversy that followed, we explore how a family tragedy evolved into one of the most enduring horror stories in modern history.Was the house truly haunted, or did a compelling narrative transform a brutal crime into a cultural phenomenon?This is the true story behind The Amityville Horror.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #47: The Delphi Murders 24.05.2026 1ч 39мин

  On February 13, 2017, an unusually warm winter day provided a perfect backdrop for an impromptu hike, particularly since Delphi Community Middle School in Indiana had canceled classes that Monday to balance out unused snow days. The morning began leisurely for fourteen-year-old Liberty "Libby" German and her best friend, thirteen-year-old Abigail "Abby" Williams, who were recovering from a Sunday night sleepover at Libby's home. The evening prior, the girls had stayed up late eating pizza and garlic knots, watching a scary movie, and messaging boys on social media. When they finally woke up, Libby's father, Derrick, prepared them a breakfast of banana pancakes.Libby's grandmother, Becky Patty, was working in her home appraisal office located in the family's garage when the girls asked for permission to go to a hike at the trails. Although Libby did not mention her specific intention to cross the towering Monon High Bridge, Becky agreed to the outing, stipulating only that the girls needed reliable transportation to and from the hiking spot.Libby secured a ride from her sister, Kelsi. And her father, Derrick, agreed to pick the girls up two hours later.As the teenagers scrambled to leave, Becky reminded her granddaughter that despite the sunshine, the February air would still be chilly and she needed to take a jacket. Pausing in the doorframe, Libby offered her grandmother a final reassurance, stating, "Grandma, it'll be okay". The girls piled into Kelsi's car equipped for the weather; Libby brought along her new black swim team sweatshirt, and Kelsi loaned Abby a gray sweatshirt. With the song "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots droning on the radio, Libby snapped a selfie in the backseat. At 1:38 P.M., Kelsi pulled up to the Mears entrance of the trails, where Abby and Libby jumped out of the car and disappeared into the trees.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #46: The Want-Ad Killer 17.05.2026 1ч 51мин

  Kathy Miller was 15 years old and looking through the classified ads — not for herself, but for her boyfriend. She found a listing, made a phone call, and told her mother not to worry about it. Her mother had a bad feeling she couldn't shake. Kathy went anyway.What investigators uncovered in the weeks that followed would connect a want ad in a Seattle newspaper to a pattern stretching across multiple states — and to a man whose name they had actually encountered before. More than once. In very different circumstances.The Harvey Carignan case is one of the most disturbing examples of how American law enforcement operated across state lines in the 1970s, before digital databases, before CODIS, before any of the systems that might have made a difference here.This episode follows the Kathy Miller missing persons case from the moment her mother reported her gone — through the investigation, the leads that stalled, the witnesses who came forward, and the details that made detectives in Seattle start making calls to people they'd never spoken to before.Sources:https://www.heraldnet.com/2007/05/07/mother-gives-solace-to-grieving-families/https://news.prairiepublic.org/show/dakota-datebook-archive/2022-05-25/harvey-carignanhttps://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Carignan,%20Harvey.htmhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/546721.The_Want_Ad_KillerBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #45: How a Podcast Solved a 40-year Cold Case 26.04.2026 1ч 34мин

  In January 1982, a Sydney mother of two vanished without a trace. Lynette Dawson was thirty-three years old. She had two daughters under the age of five, a home in Bayview on Sydney's northern beaches, and by all accounts, a life she was deeply devoted to.Then one Saturday morning, she was gone.Her husband Chris — a former rugby league player turned schoolteacher — told family she had called from an unknown location to say she needed time away. Those who knew Lyn found the explanation impossible to believe. Her own mother struggled to make sense of it from the moment she heard the words.Five weeks passed before anyone reported her missing. And once they did, the investigation went nowhere.For nearly four decades, Lynette's case remained unsolved — kept alive only by the people who refused to forget her. Then, in 2018, an Australian true crime podcast changed everything. The series, which focused entirely on Lyn's disappearance, became one of the most downloaded podcasts in history and triggered a national conversation that authorities could no longer ignore. It did more than telling the story. It helped break it open.In this episode, we examine how a young mother disappeared from Sydney's northern beaches, why her case stalled for so long, and how a single piece of audio journalism reignited a forty-year-old investigation. We look at the life Lyn lived, the morning she was last seen, and the long road to what came next.What really happened to Lynette Dawson? And what does it take to make the world finally listen?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #44: Behind the Vault Door - The Snowtown Barrel Murders 19.04.2026 1ч 35мин

  >> Content warning: this episode contains detailed descriptions of homicide, torture, hate crimes and the abuse of vulnerable individuals. Listener discretion is advised. <<In May 1999, police in a quiet South Australian town followed a routine missing persons lead to a disused bank building on the main street. What they found inside its vault would become the most disturbing crime scene in Australian history — and force investigators to confront a network of killings that had gone undetected for years.This episode examines the Snowtown murders: who the victims were, how they disappeared without triggering alarm, and how the people responsible managed to remain hidden in plain sight for so long.How do you hide something in a small town where everyone knows everyone? And what does it take for authorities to finally see what was there all along?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #43: Murder at Villa Madeira - The Scandalous Case of Francis and Alma Rattenbury 12.04.2026 1ч 34мин

  Passion, jealousy, betrayal, and a confession that only deepened the mystery.In the spring of 1935, a quiet seaside home in Bournemouth, England became the center of one of the most sensational murder cases of the twentieth century. Francis Rattenbury — the celebrated architect behind British Columbia's Parliament Buildings and Victoria's iconic Empress Hotel — was found slumped in his armchair, his skull shattered by a wooden mallet. He died four days later.His wife Alma didn't run. She didn't hide. When the police arrived at Villa Madeira, she looked them in the eye and told them exactly what she had done.But what seemed like and open and shut case, was far from it.Alma's story didn't begin that night in Bournemouth. It began years earlier — with war, loss, reinvention, and a woman who had already survived more than most people could imagine. A musical prodigy. A war widow. A social outcast who had followed her much older husband to England to escape a scandal that followed them across the Atlantic. By 1935, the glamour had faded. The marriage had grown cold. And into their household walked someone who would change everything.In this episode, we trace the full arc of this extraordinary case — from Alma's turbulent past and the slow unraveling of a loveless marriage, to the chaotic night of the attack, the confession that seemed to close the case before it even began, and the devastating truth that only emerges when you pull back every layer of this story.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #42: The Doomsday Murders (Part 2/2) 30.03.2026 1ч 34мин

  On the morning of June 9, 2020, nearly 100 law enforcement officers descended on a quiet property in Salem, Idaho. Five cadaver dogs swept the yard. The FBI set up a mobile command center the size of a bus. And a man named Chad Daybell sat in his SUV in the driveway — and watched.What investigators found that day would bring a years-long nightmare into devastating focus and behind it all, a story of religious extremism, doomsday prophecy, and a marriage built on obsession and deceit.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #41: The Doomsday Murders (Part 1/2) 22.03.2026 1ч 16мин

  In the summer of 2019, a devoted father in Gilbert, Arizona begins to notice that something is deeply, disturbingly wrong with his wife. What starts as a slow drift toward fringe religious beliefs has quietly escalated into something far more alarming — and the people closest to her are only beginning to understand the extent of it.As her husband desperately searches for someone, anyone, who can help, a shadowy figure in Idaho is whispering in her ear, reshaping her reality, and making plans of his own.By the time the warning signs become impossible to ignore, it may already be too late.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #40: 1122 King Road - The True Story Of The Idaho Four Murders 08.03.2026 1ч 50мин

  On the night of November 12th, 2022, four University of Idaho seniors went out into the small college town they called home — and never came back. By the following afternoon, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin had been stabbed to death in their beds, in a rental house just off campus, while two of their roommates slept undisturbed on the floor below.The killer left no weapon. No fingerprints. No witnesses. He was inside the house for approximately fifteen minutes, and by the time the first officer arrived on scene, he had been gone for hours.What followed was one of the most closely watched murder investigations in recent memory — unfolding in a town that had never needed to lock its doors, led by a small police department suddenly thrust under the glare of a national media circus, and complicated by a tidal wave of online speculation that destroyed innocent reputations and sent an entire university campus into a spiral of fear and paranoia.The investigation would take six weeks, span two time zones, and hinge on a single piece of evidence so small it was almost invisible to the naked eye. And at the center of it all was a killer who had studied violence academically — who understood, better than most, exactly how cases like this got solved.He almost got away with it.Content warning: this episode contains detailed descriptions of violent crime and may not be suitable for all listeners.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #39: Silicon Valley’s Dark Mirror - The Death of a Tech Visionary 15.02.2026 1ч 33мин

  In the early hours of April 4, 2023, the visionary behind the modern mobile economy staggered down a desolate San Francisco street, clutching his chest and pleading with a 911 operator for his life. Bob Lee, the man known to the tech world as "Crazy Bob," had survived the cutthroat boardrooms of Google and Square, but he would not survive the 400 block of Main Street.This episode traces the ascent of a generational talent—from his roots in St. Louis and his legendary "Code Red" worm fix to the technical "hack" that became Cash App. We explore the brilliant, manic energy of a man who co-authored the textbooks for the classes he attended and eloped at a Star Trek attraction in Las Vegas. But beneath the surface of his professional triumphs lay a different world: a secretive, drug-fueled underground circuit of San Francisco’s elite known simply as "The Lifestyle."The investigation into Lee’s death initially ignited a global political firestorm, with tech moguls pointing to the city’s "lawless streets" as proof of an urban collapse. However, as the digital breadcrumbs were followed into the forty-first-floor condos of the Millennium Tower and through the industrial lofts of Emeryville, a much darker, more intimate story began to emerge. It was a narrative of childhood trauma, a "fixer" mentality, and a perceived slight that led to a fatal confrontation beneath the Bay Bridge.We detail the 2024 trial that captivated the nation—a proceeding marked by a $5,500 Valentino dress, a "Walgreens of drugs" characterization, and a theatrical defense theory that attempted to turn the victim into the aggressor. Finally, we provide an exclusive look at the state of the case in 2026: a convicted killer fighting for a retrial from a jail cell, a $17 million defamation suit, and a family civil war that has seen the Lee estate target an entire family for an alleged coordinated cover-up.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #38: The Privilege of Pain: From Mormon Mommy Vlogger to Convicted Abuser 08.02.2026 1ч 38мин

  A high-definition window into a life of absolute order was broadcast to millions, presenting a vision of modern parenting that many sought to emulate. This digital storefront sold a brand of intentional living where every movement was tracked and every child followed a clockwork routine. While the daily uploads showcased a picture of stability, the internal dynamics of the household were undergoing a cold transformation.The 6:30 a.m. rehearsals and rigid preparation cycles provided the foundation for a domestic hierarchy where authority became the only metric that mattered. This account follows the transition from a highly disciplined home to an environment of total isolation. It details how a drive for a flawless public image allowed a specific, radical influence to dismantle a family from within. Behind the curated image of the vlogger, the house was being repurposed into a facility for correction—one where the "privileges" of those in charge came at a devastating cost.When the camera turns off and the storefront is shuttered, a different story emerges. This is the reality of what happened when the search for a perfect life took a turn into the extreme.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #37: City Under Siege - The Search for The Phoenix Serial Shooters 31.01.2026 1ч 56мин

  Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence against humans and animals.Between May 2005 and August 2006, Phoenix, Arizona lived in fear as two men in a silver Toyota Camry hunted victims at random. They killed eight people and countless animals in what they called "Random Recreational Violence"—shooting pedestrians, bicyclists, homeless men, dogs, and horses across the metropolitan area.The breakthrough came from an unlikely source: Detective Cliff Jewell, known as the "pet detective," matched .22-caliber shell casings from a dog shooting to those found at human murder scenes, proving the animal attacks and homicides were connected. His discovery launched an investigation complicated by the simultaneous hunt for another serial killer, the Baseline Rapist, draining resources and creating unprecedented panic.The case broke when two informants came forward with crucial information. Surveillance captured the suspects prowling Phoenix in the early morning hours, circling pedestrians like prey. Inside their apartment, police found an arsenal of weapons, a map marking their crimes, and a note reading "homicidal maniac, drug taking God among mortals."This episode examines the 15-month reign of terror, the forensic detective work that connected dozens of seemingly random attacks, and the trial where one suspect maintained his innocence while the other confessed, stating he deserved to die for what they'd done.Victims remembered: Tony Mendez, Reginald Remillard, David Estrada, Nathaniel Shoffner, Marco Carillo, Jose Ortiz, Claudia Gutierrez-Cruz, James Hodge, Robin Blasnek, and over twenty survivors.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  #36: The 1980s Burger King Shooting of Marie Grossman 25.01.2026 1ч 56мин

  In 1987, Marie Grossman was the embodiment of the American dream: a trailblazing attorney, a devoted mother, and a woman who had meticulously built a life of stability and purpose. But on a foggy December evening, a routine stop for fast food on her way to her son's wrestling match placed her directly in the path of two men with a loaded revolver and a terrifying history of "asset card" abductions.This episode explores the intersection of two vastly different lives—a high-achieving professional and a nineteen-year-old former basketball star who believed the rules no longer applied to him. When Richard Thompson stepped between the menu board and Marie’s car, he triggered a sequence of events that would force Marie to make a split-second, life-altering gamble based on a trauma she had buried for decades.What happens when a victim refuses to follow the script of compliance? How does a community react when a pattern of systemic negligence at a major corporation is finally brought to light? This is a story of incredible resilience, the high cost of corporate indifference, and an unconventional quest for a type of justice that the legal system wasn't designed to provide.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  Bonus: The Mother Who Hunted a Deadly Cartel in Search of her Daughter’s Captors 10.01.2026 1ч 36мин

  When her daughter was kidnapped by the notorious Zeta cartel, Mexican mother Miriam Rodríguez embarked on a relentless quest for justice. Armed with disguises, determination, and unwavering courage, she tracked down those responsible, confronting one of Mexico's most dangerous criminal organizations.This episode delves into Miriam's extraordinary journey, following her transformation from caring mother to fearless vigilante.Join us as we explore the true story of Miriam Rodríguez, a tale of love, loss, and the indomitable spirit of a mother who refused to back down.For more information on this case, we recommend "Fear Is Just a Word" by Azam Ahmed, which heavily informed this episode.This case was originally covered on episode 10. This is a remake of that episode, the only instance in which we we’ll do such a thing as we believe each episode is a document of that time period, flaws and all. This one is an exception because it was one that fell short of the research that was done at the time and it deserved an expansion and a polish to do this incredible story justice.EnjoyWe'll be back with a new season January 23.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.
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  A quick note from the host with some news about the show.  07.01.2026 3мин

  A quick note from the host with some news about the show. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nightwatch-files--6484889/support.SUPPORT THE SHOW & LISTEN AD-FREEJoin our Patreon and unlock ad-free episodes directly in Apple Podcasts or Spotify after you connect your Patreon account. You can also join the Supporters Club for an ad-free experience.Both go for just $3/month, sign up from the links below.Ad-Free EpisodesPatreon: patreon.com/NightwatchFilesApple (after joining): bit.ly/4i7XcNWSpotify (after joining): bit.ly/4oVVEsTSupporters Club: bit.ly/497ciAmSupport UsKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/nightwatchfilesMerch Shop: https://nightwatchfiles.com/store www.nightwatchfiles.comVoice Disclaimer: The host’s voice is digitally generated and extensively edited to meet our quality standards. All stories, research, and scripts are created by real people.