Just The Tip-Sters: True Crime Podcast

Back a few episodes ago (JTT Episode 98 to be precise) Melissa covered the puzzling 1963 murder of young Hollywood actress Karyn Kupcinet. Karyn's killer has never been identified, but her demise was surrounded in a shroud of weirdness, including a tie to the JFK assassination and a possible link to a tough guy matinee idol named Lawrence Tierney, who, Melissa was once told by a colleague of Tierney's, coulda just mighta well y'know maybe sorta was involved in the Kupcinet case...Fast forward to a few weeks later, when Melissa got a call from her friend - writer and witness Cynthia Hawkins - whose own personal story about Tierney sent a chill down Melissa's spine. Cynthia agreed to impart her tale to Melissa in front of our Homestead Studios microphones - and on this episode you can decide for yourself if maybe...possibly...hmmmmmm... SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH AND BODY - go to www.kleanspa.com and get 15% off your total order. Kleanspa - prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matthew Weaver Jr. was troubled - but really not that much more troubled than any other 21 year-old young man is troubled. So when he went for a late night ride in the hills above Malibu California in August 2018, it seemed a perfectly natural thing for him to do, to catch his breath and settle his mind. Except that he never returned. His car was found perilously perched at a place called Rosas Overlook, abandoned and otherwise untouched. Since that day, Matthew's disappearance has been treated with a level of disinterest by law enforcement that is both disheartening and infuriating. This is the story of Matthew's family and friends, who have never given up looking for him, and who have actually done more work and uncovered more evidence than the police. It is also the story of how law enforcement's incredible, mysteriously vague treatment of the case can lead to serious questions the police probably don't want asked. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In August 1994 a sports fisherman cruising the Hawkesbury River in Sydney Australia got a tug on his line unlike any he'd gotten before. Hauling what he thought was going to be a prize flathead into his boat, he instead encountered pure horror: The macabre remains of a man's body tied to a cross-like rack. Forensic science determined that the man had been killed roughly one year prior - but that's about the only fact that could be determined. Fast forward 25 years - a full quarter-century following the man's death - when the New South Wales State Coroner's Office suddenly declared that DNA testing had finally determined definitively that the body was that of a certain Matt (aka "Max") Tancevski, who - although a known gambler, had no underworld or other criminal connections. Tag along with Melissa as she wonders aloud about the wide range of questions this new information has raised...who would want Tancevski dead? If it was a simple gambling debt gone bad, would the killer have devised such a unique and complicated method for the murder? And if it was a serial killer, why have no other bodies been found that had been killed in a similar fashion? SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH & BODY - Visit www.kleanspa.com today and get 15% your total order by entering Promotional Code TIPSTERS at checkout! Kleanspa - prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's the 100th episode of "Just The Tip-Sters" - and Melissa marks the occasion with a tragic story from her home state of Kentucky - in honor of those who perished and in celebration of the positive strides, both culturally and in the law, that sprang forth after that terrible day. On May 14, 1988, a converted school bus carrying 63 (mostly) young teenagers and four adults (including the bus driver) left the Assembly of God church in Radcliff, Kentucky to spend the day at the King's Island amusement park in Ohio. That night, on the way home, just south of the town of Carrollton Kentucky, the bus was hit head-on by a drunk driver in a pickup truck at a high rate of speed. The impact damaged the bus' front door (making it impossible to open) and ripped open the gas tank, igniting a fire that consumed the bus and its passengers in a matter of seconds. In all, 24 of the teenagers and three of the adults perished. Of the survivors, many were left with life-altering injuries. To this day, the Carrollton Bus Crash remains the deadliest drunk driving incident in U.S. history. Yet despite the horror of the incident, much good came of it, including the ascendance of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, new state and federal safety standards - and not one, but two incredible love stories. Join Melissa as she recalls this emotional tale of life, death and, ultimately, hope. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH & BODY - Get 15% off your total order by entering Promo Code TIPSTERS at checkout. Go to www.kleanspa.com today and prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode Melissa details two unrelated cases involving two sets of two best friends, one case a little weird but solved , the other completely mysterious and just as completely unsolved. In July 2019, school teachers Kenneth Anderson Jr. and Mark Anderson (no relation, believe it or not) were found dead in the swimming pool of a house they were sitting in Davenport Iowa. Local police recently stated that a security camera caught the whole thing, and that it was just a tragic accident - but why hasn't anyone outside law enforcement seen the video? Hmmmm? But that mystery is nothing compared to the gruesome 2011 murders of Ryan Riddell and Mark Prasse whose gunshot bodies were discovered in the basement of Prasse's home in Central Illinois. To this date, no arrests have been made, and he cops are saying essentially the case will never be solved. But wait - what about that bizarre attempted bank heist Ryan Riddell was caught in the middle of just a few months before he was killed? No connections there? Hmmmm? SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH & BODY. Enter promo code TIPSTERS at checkout and receive 15% off your total order! Go to www.kleanspa.com today and check out all their unique bath and body products. Kleanspa - prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Karyn Kupcinet was a beautiful young actress working her way up the Hollywood ladder, using her grit, tenacity (and her dad's solid connections throughout the entertainment industry) to eventually get steady work and even praise for her acting ability. In November 1963 - just 8 days after the Kennedy assassination, Karyn was found murdered in her apartment, strangled to death by an unknown assailant - who remains unknown to this day. But oh, are there ever guesses. From a haunting call to police just minutes prior to JFK's demise to a disturbingly possible link between the murder and an admired journeyman Hollywood character actor, Karyn Kupcinet's murder isn't as simple as it looks at first glance. Join Melissa as she traverses the life, times and untimely death of a young woman who might just have gotten a little too far over her head and tried to make things right only after it was too late. SPONSORED BY KLEANSPA BATH & BODY - Make sure to enter the Promotional Code "TIPSERS" at checkout to receive 15% off your total order. Kleanspa - prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1978, while hitchhiking to visit a relative, 15 year-old Mary Vincent was abducted, then repeatedly raped and sodomized, then tortured by 51 year-old Lawrence Singleton, who then attempted to finish the teenager off by cutting both of her arms off with an ax, then kicking her into a drainage ditch. Almost impossibly, young Mary found the will to stuff dirt into the stubs that were once her forearms, crawl out of the ravine and walk - naked and near death - THREE MILES to the nearest highway, where she was rescued by passing motorists. Listen as Melissa takes you through the horror of Mary Vincent's ordeal, her absolute defiance in the face of death, and the awful, disturbing details of what happened to her would-be murderer. Ultimately, this is a story of great hope and - yes - beauty and love - a reminder that the human spirit is capable of miracles. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH & BODY by Jennifer Hardaway. Make sure to enter promotional code TIPSTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your total order. www.kleanspa.com - Kleanspa - prepare to smell delicious. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In April 1989, Ramon Salcido, a husband and father of three girls, went on a drunken, ghastly, deadly rampage, killing seven people, including his wife, two of his daughters, his mother-in-law, two sisters-in-law and a coworker. What he did with his three daughters was particularly evil - he took them to a dump, slit their throats from ear-to-ear and left them to die in piles of garbage. The sole survivor was young Carmina, the youngest of Salcido's daughters - who was just about to turn 3 years old - we repeat, THREE years old. Somehow the toddler was able to sit herself up and bend her head forward to prevent the wound to her neck from killing her. And then she sat there for 36 hours until rescuers found her and saved her life. Join Melissa as she recounts the heartbreaking, harrowing and ultimately life-affirming story of Carmina, who refused to die when just a baby - and despite continued hardship throughout her life, still maintains her strength and determination to carry on. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH & BODY - visit www.kleanspa.com and enter promotional code TIPSTERS at checkout to receive 15% off your total order. Kleanspa - prepare to smell delicious. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here's a quick between-regular-episodes MURDERTIZER to abate your appetite for All Melissa, All the Time - and it's got some BIG NEWS - Peter Chadwick, the millionaire (alleged) wife killer who told cops one of the stupidest "my spouse was murdered" stories ever (allegedly) concocted and then, once arrested, got out on bail and (allegedly) skipped the country for four years - has finally been found in southeastern Mexico and extradited earlier this week. Join Melissa as she revels in the capture of a truly (allegedly) awful dude, work herself into a righteous froth remembering how the Newport Beach police kept facts from the public - and excitedly previews an upcoming interview with a Long Beach, California detective who was a member of the task force that finally brought Chadwick back home to face justice. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

SURVIVOR MONTH on Just The Tip-Sters begins with our first edition of MURDER NERD UNIVERSITY - where Melissa focuses on the sciences and practices and interesting people - both in the past and in modern-day criminology - that contribute to the art of criminal justice. In late 2017 Brigida Uto (who later changed her surname back to maiden name McInvale for reasons that will become obvious) got very sick for no apparent reason. The young special needs teacher, who by all accounts had a happy life and rewarding career, a naval officer husband and a young child - was suddenly seeing her health degrade slowly, day after day, week after week. Moving back and forth between the naval hospital and a local community hospital, doctors could not diagnose what was wrong with Brigida, as the symptoms seemed to be all over the map. Finally, when it became too painful for Brigida to even walk, she landed in the emergency room of the community hospital on a night when the attending physician happened to also be a toxicologist - part of an elite group of toxicologists working at the hospital - and that doctor, when he examined Brigida, had a hunch...so he called his boss. His boss was Dr. Jeff Lapoint - who, with his team, working with local police, the FBI and NCIS - proved that Brigida was poisoned with thallium - a deadly metal that her husband, Race Uto, had been shaving into her food. Using a compound so rare that it took clearance - and some heavy questioning - from the National Security Apparatus - Dr. Lapoint and his team saved Brigida's life and helped put the diabolical husband behind bars for a very long time. Join Melissa as she engages Dr. Lapoint in a wide ranging conversation about the case and the art of toxicology in the service of saving lives. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH AND BODY by Jennifer Hardaway - get 15% off your total order by entering Promo Code TIPSTERS at checkout! That's kleanspa.com - Prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It was October 7, 1992 in Morphett Vale, South Australia, and 12 year-old Rhianna Barreau was on a school holiday. Rhianna, who lived with her mother and brother, wanted to buy a Christmas card for her pen pal in America (remember, this was 1992 and it took awhile for a card to get from Australia to the U.S.). The family lived only about a mile or so away from a local shopping center, so when Rhianna asked her Mom if she could walk there to buy the card for her American friend, Mom said okay. When Mom came home from work later that day, the television was blaring, one of Rhianna's favorite record albums was lying on the floor - and that Christmas card Rhianna had wanted to purchase was on the table. But Rhianna was nowhere to be found. And to this day, she's still missing. In this episode, Melissa retells the details of Rhianna's last known whereabouts, the witnesses who saw her that day walking back home - the mysterious fact that there was no sign of forced entry into the house - the fact that none of Rhianna's personal belongings were missing - and the lingering, haunting question: Who did Rhianna open the door to that fateful afternoon? VISIT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH & BODY by Jennifer Hardaway - Get 15% off your total order by visiting www.kleanspa.com and entering promo code TIPSTERS at checkout. Kleanspa - prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Back around the turn of the century...no not 2001....no, no, not 1901...the turn of the century before THAT, in the late 1700s and early 1800s...a young man raised in a good family in France was very busy being a very very bad boy, all over France as well as a good chunk of Europe. His name was Eugene Francois Vidocq, and his penchant for getting into trouble with the law was matched only by his way with the ladies - he was such a rounder that he married no fewer than three times during his 82 years and was never far from romantic...er...adventure. His criminal behavior was legendary - Vidocq was so addicted to trickery, forgery and downright slippery behavior that he often helped other criminals just because he enjoyed being devious. He landed in jail many times, and was once even sentenced to death (which he obviously ended up avoiding...somehow...). But sometime in his mid-thirties, something happened to Eugene Vidocq. He decided to stop plotting and running and going to jail - and begin to use his talents AGAINST criminals. He ended up not only becoming one of the most effective law enforcement officials in history - he pretty much invented modern criminology---his methods are the basis of everything today's law men and women utilize very single day. Take a ride back in time to 18th- and 19th-Century France with Melissa as she weaves the remarkable tale of the criminal who became the cop - who re-shaped the very nature of police work - and whose name graces the Vidocq Society, a group of criminologists, scientists and law enforcement specialists who meet every month here in the U.S. to investigate difficult-to-solve crimes. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH & BODY - Get 15% your total order by entering the promo code TIPSTER at check out. Kleanspa- prepare to smell delicious! www.kleanspa.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Back at Season 2, Episode 28 Melissa covered the missing person case of Savannah Spurlock, a young single mother who lived near Lexington, Kentucky and who disappeared after leaving a bar with two men in January of 2019. Her family's quick response to her disappearance and steadfastness in making sure law enforcement stayed relentless in finding out what happened has been nothing short of phenomenal. In this update of the case, Melissa reports on the recent discovery of remains and clothing in the back yard of one of the men Savannah left with the night she vanished, his arrest, and some puzzling questions - most importantly among them: What took so long for the cops to make a bust? SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH AND BODY by Jennifer Hardaway - perfumes, rubs, moisturizers and oils, all made with naturally inspired ingredients and featuring dozens of unique, hand-crafted fragrances. Enter Promo Code TIPSTERS at checkout and receive 15% off your total order! www.kleanspa.com - Prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The tragic 1987 public suicide of Pennsylvania State Treasurer R. Budd Dwyer is one of the most well known, horrifying and sad media events ever to occur in the United States. A media event because Dwyer shot himself in the mouth with a .357 magnum revolver during a live, highly-publicized press conference. Horrifying because it was a snow day and kids were home from school watching TV when it happened. Sad - so sad - because of the details that led to Dwyer's desperate action. In this episode Melissa details the life of a meticulously honest public servant done in by petty political revenge and a misguided sense of duty to take care of his family...and the interesting side note of a song written by someone deeply affected by it and a story of how his intentions were first misunderstood, then understood and forgiven, by another artist - one who lost his friend to a fate almost identical to Dwyer's. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH AND BODY - get 15% off your total order by visiting www.kleanspa.com and entering the word TIPSTERS at checkout. Kleanspa - prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the dark early evening of November 20, 2011, 23 year-old David Michael Grubbs left his job at a local supermarket in Ashland Oregon, carrying some groceries, to walk home. Just a couple of hours later, David's body was found just off a bike path that was on his route home. The body was nearly decapitated by what police determined was a medium to large blade such as a sword or machete. Now going on eight years since the horrific crime, law enforcement is still struggling to arrest a suspect - despite a raft of possibilities - including the fact that Ashland is home to dozens of LARPers (Live Action Role Players) who routinely use such weapons in their games. And other than David's family, no one is more frustrated and determined to bring his killer to justice than Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara, who at the time of the murder was a uniformed officer, and first on the scene. Listen as Melissa and Chief O'Meara discuss the case,some possible motives and even a person of interest that police have not been able to question. If you have any information on the Grubbs murder, contact the Ashland Oregon Police Department at (541) 488-2211. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR - KLEANSPA BATH & BODY - Offering a full range of scrubs, oils, moisturizers and perfumes in dozens of unique, hand-made fragrances. Visit kleanspa.com and get 15% off your total order by entering Promo Code TIPSTERS at checkout. Kleanspa - prepare to smell delicious! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On January 4, 2019 Savannah Spurlock, a 22 year-old mother of 4 who had given birth to twins just a month earlier, was told by her mother that she should take a break and go have some fun. So with grandma watching the kids, Savannah did just that - she and two friends went to downtown Lexington Kentucky for a night on the town and ended up at a place called The Other Bar. After one friend left to be ready for an early day the next morning and the second friend left after she and Savannah had an argument, Savannah stayed at The Other Bar until security cameras caught her leaving with three men. From there the story gets weird - and not for reasons one might think. Savannah has not been seen or heard from since the early morning hours the following morning. But this isn't just the story of a missing young woman - it is also the story of her family, who from virtually the moment they realized Savannah was missing, did not hesitate and did not wait. This incredible group of loved ones is fully engaged in every way - including some very unique and creative ways - to find their daughter/niece/granddaughter. Join Melissa as she re-tells the agonizing-yet-hopeful tale of the disappearance of Savannah Spurlock - and the family that is determined to bring her home. SPONSORED BY KLEANSPA BATH & BODY - scrubs, cleanses, perfumes and washes that inspire inner bliss and outer beauty - go to www.kleanspa.com - enter TIPSTERS at checkout and receive 15% off your total order! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Recently a Tip-Ster from Boston - "Tip-Ster Jennifer" - brought a case to Melissa's attention that she had not been aware of - the 1993 murders in Houston Texas of 14 year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16 year-old Elizabeth Pena. The facts of the case are among the most gruesome and disturbing Melissa has ever encountered - but more than the horror of the crimes themselves were two compelling side-stories...one is that Tip-Ster Jennifer was a friend of Jennifer Ertman at the time she was murdered...and the other is the awe-inspiring story of Jennifer Ertman's dad, Randy who, along with his wife and the family of Elizabeth Pena, waged a crusade not only to find the killers, but once they were caught, to change the laws to give victims' families higher standing in the judicial system - things we take for granted today like victim impact statements and the right for families to remain in the courtroom even when other family members are testifying. Tip-Ster Jennifer calls in from Boston on this episode to talk about the gut-punching details of the murders - and the heroic passion of the families left behind. SPONSORED BY KLEANSPA BATH & BODY - Prepare to smell delicious! Go to www.kleanspa.com and get 15% off your total order by entering Promo Code TIPSTERS at checkout! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the last day of June in 2017, Craig Lackey got to watch his 25 year-old son Chase compete in a ballgame in his home town of Houston, Texas. After the game, Craig hugged his son and told him he'd had a great game - and Chase, a dazzlingly cheerful, happy young man and friend to all who knew him, told his dad he loved him. That was the last time Craig saw his son. The next day, Chase was seen walking his dog outside his apartment near the Houston Beltway - and then he vanished. And no one - not Chase's family, his friends, his neighbors, and most especially not the police - have a clue what happened to him. On this episode Melissa is joined by Craig Lackey, who discusses his dedication to finding his son and the frustration of dealing with nearly two straight years of not knowing what the police are doing - or if they're doing anything at all - to find the son he loves. SPONSORED BY KLEANSPA BATH & BODY - Prepare to smell delicious! Go to www.kleanspa.com and get 15% off your total order by entering the Promo Code TIPSTERS at checkout! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

By all appearances, Peter Chadwick is a pretty rotten human. A millionaire British ex-pat living in an exclusive Southern California enclave with his wife and three sons, he suddenly disappears, along with his bride, one day in October 2012. Early the next morning 911 operators some 100 miles away in San Diego get a call from Chadwick, who claims his wife had been killed the previous day, and that he'd been...well...kidnapped...or something...by the killers. Let's just say the police didn't buy any of it, and just a few days later when his wife's body was found (under astounding circumstances), he was charged with First Degree Murder. Flash forward two-plus years later when, out on bail and on the eve of trial, Chadwick takes a powder. And no one has been able to find him. Anywhere. But it gets worse - and possibly much worse. In this episode Melissa shares not just the frustration - but the outrage - of how the police have completely controlled the information on the case while blocking access to the general public that might allow concerned citizens help catch Peter Chadwick - and for no apparent reason other than they simply don't trust the citizens they've been sworn to serve. Buckle up - Melissa is more than just a little worked up about this - and you will be too. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's been just over a year since the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, the alleged Golden State Killer, who was captured through an ingenious ploy by law enforcement, which registered the then-unknown killer's DNA under a dummy name on GEDMatch, a public DNA-based genealogy website. That sample led to distant relatives of DeAngelo who had registered their DNA on GEDMatch. From there, detectives pared down a list of those relatives until DeAngelo's DNA was confirmed to be a match with that of the murderer. In this past year alone, at least 50 arrests in other cases around the country have resulted from law enforcement's use of this form of DNA comparison. Recently, in a move obviously aimed at averting litigation, GEDMatch announced that henceforth no GEDMatch client's DNA can be used by law enforcement unless the client "opts-in" to such use. This policy applies even to the more than one million clients that existed prior to the policy change. In this episode, Melissa discusses the challenges this decision - and others likely to follow by other DNA testing sites - poses to police everywhere trying to solve murders where DNA exists but no DNA match can be found through traditional means. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this special Memorial Day Weekend MURDERTIZER (an appetizer of murder!), Melissa takes a look at a case not even a month old. One that is seemingly solved...or is it? On May 15, 2019 sheriff's deputies in Merced County (in California's San Joaquin Valley) were alerted to a big rig parked on the side of a major Interstate highway. Unlocked. With its motor running. With the driver's wallet and cell phone inside. Strange? Yes. But wait. The driver's body was found several days later in a canal two miles downstream from where the truck was found. Okay, that's NOT necessarily strange. But when Melissa starts piecing together some incredibly...er...COINCIDENTAL facts about the driver's name, she gets us all (especially Producer Mark) into the Freakout Zone. Take 30 minutes out of your holiday weekend to freak out a little bit yourself and join Melissa on a wild ride up the I-5. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, in a tip-of-the-cap to her growing band of Tip-Sters in Australia, Melissa focuses on one of the most agonizingly maddening murder mysteries our brethren Down Under still have no answers for - the 1980-1981 killings of six women in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne. Known simply as the Tynong North and Frankston Murders (based on the two locations where the bodies of the victims were found and the general areas in which they lived), the six slayings were originally treated as two separate serial killer matters. Six women - aged as young as 14 and as elderly as 75 - three in each of the two areas - fell to the killer or killers in a less-than-two-year period. And then they simply stopped. Was it because police had focused on the identity of someone they pegged to all six murders but just couldn't formally pin them on him - and he was disciplined enough to end his spree? Join Melissa as she digs in to the tragedy and crazy-making details of these still-unsolved crimes - and the now-85 year-old devout Christian gentleman who may - or may not - hold the key that would unravel the entire mystery. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Say True-Crimers, here's a couple of brain teasers for the next time you want to stump a fellow Murder Maven: What was the investigation covered in the very first episode of "Forensic Files"? Or how about this: What was the first "no body" murder trial to result in a conviction in the State of Connecticut? Well surprise! The answer to both questions is the same - it's the gruesome-yet-freakishly-weird 1986 case of Helle Crafts, whose husband, Richard, was convicted of killing her in their Newtown Connecticut home, throwing her body in a brand new Westinghouse freezer purchased just for the occasion, chopping her frozen body parts into bits with a brand new Stihl chainsaw (obviously this was someone who insisted on quality brand-name products), then renting a wood chipper to shred those bits and send them flying into nearby Lake Zoar. Yep, you guessed it - the Cohen Brothers didn't invent the - let's call it the "Wood Chipper Paradigm" - when they wrote the screenplay for "Fargo" - Richard Crafts thought up the idea all by himself some 10 years before Steve Buscemi's leg protruded out of that famous chipper on movie screens across America. And unlike the movie, the real-life case featured Dr. Henry Lee - one of Melissa's monument-worthy heroes. Join her as she re-tells the truly bizarre tale of one man's epically brutal - and monumentally stupid - attempt at avoiding divorce. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The brutal strangulation death of Karina Vetrano in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens New York in August 2016 seemed like a slam-dunk, easy-to-solve crime at first blush. The 30 year-old beauty had been killed while jogging in the late afternoon, her body dumped just a few yards off the running path in Spring Creek Park. But then things got not so slam-dunk. And fast. Police followed empty lead after empty lead. The touch-DNA found on the young victim's body could not be matched in any database - and the case went cold for six months. Then, through what can only be described as a complete fluke of a train-of-thought hunch by a police officer in a completely different jurisdiction, 20 year-old Chanel Lewis was arrested after a DNA swab matched that of the DNA found on Karina's body. Shortly thereafter, Lewis confessed to the murder in a videotaped police interview. Seems like cops were back running toward the hoop unchallenged again, right? Not so fast. In the following 14 months, right up to April 2018, the road to justice in this case ran into a bizarre series of courtroom mishaps, alleged jury misconduct and a mystery letter to the defense team that makes this case - though officially now "solved," one that the locals in Queens still wonder about. And it ain't over yet. Join Melissa as she conveys the twists and turns of this intriguing and tragic case. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On June 21, 2014 Jeff Joseph - a Southern California cannabis entrepreneur who had opened a marijuana growing operation some 700 miles to the north, was on his way back to his farm when he disappeared seemingly off the face of the planet and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Sadly, Jeff's story is just one of literally hundreds of missing persons in Humboldt County, where - as detailed in the recent documentary series "Murder Mountain," to this day a cloak of deadly secrecy encompasses the entire region. On this episode, Melissa discusses Jeff Joseph's disappearance with Jeff's sister Vikki Joseph, a brave and dedicated warrior for her brother who is relentless in demanding answers - even in the face of terrified, closed-mouthed locals and law enforcement that seems to block the truth at every turn. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How about an update on the prosecution of one of our most fascinating topics - the Golden State Killer? One year after the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, Melissa has the latest on the (possibly politically-motivated) legal strategies happening in this continually mind-bending saga. Plus: It's been a crazy week at Tip-Ster Central, with updates on three (3) (count 'em!) additional previously-covered cases hopping over the transom just in time for this week's episode --- such as the latest on the incredible (s)hero and DNA sleuth Barbara Rae-Venter...the search to find what happened to Kentucky high schooler Randy Sellers...and the further adventures of murder-for-hire slimebucket James Fayed Plus much more (including Melissa's battle with the 23 & Me test kit!). A fascinating hour of catch-up and insight. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On June 24, 1986 one of the most sensational and brutal attempted jewelry store robberies in US history took place at the storied Van Cleef and Arpels Jewelers on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. It was there that a 22 year-old would-be thief named Steven Livaditis quickly and without much explanation at all turned himself into a cold-blooded murderer when the robbery he thought he could pull off went terribly wrong. One of the most heart-pounding and horrifying stories ever recounted by Melissa, who shares how this case changed her in ways she never expected. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Imagine living what would be every woman's worst nightmare: You're driving down the road with your favorite cousin in the passenger seat, not a care in the world, when suddenly a truck pulls up beside you and the guy inside fires a shotgun directly at you. And shoots. Blowing your elbow into shattered bone and blood. When you pull over, that same driver tries to pull your cousin out of your car, and when she won't move, blows her head off with that same shotgun. Imagine now that the driver hauls you away, rapes and tortures you, and then you end up in his trailer in the middle of the woods where no one can find him. Jennifer Holliday doesn't have to imagine any of that. Because it actually happened to her. And she survived. Through a combination of sheer guts, keen; raw intelligence and incredible calm under pressure, Holliday has lived to tell of her incredible ordeal - and Melissa shares it with you this episode in chilling, compelling detail. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A rare MURDERTIZER (an appetizer of murder) in our regular weekly time slot - but as this week's podcast reveals, Melissa and Producer Mark have a lot on their plate - but Melissa wanted to make sure you, dear listener, had a zesty treat until the next full episode. And this one is straight out of the "it's so strange it MUST be true" department... in 2010 a bank robbery took place in Gallatin Tennessee that featured one David Christopher Cotton in the role of Armed Robber...with...a twist. Suffice it to say that while this tale does not end well for Mr. Cotton or his getaway driver, Jonathan Skinner, the details of the event will likely leave you choking back a guffaw or two...or three... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2009 Mitrice Richardson, a young and beautiful twentysomething taking a year off between her graduate and postgraduate studies, showed up one night far from home at a ritzy Malibu, California restaurant - behaving weirdly. When she told the wait staff she couldn't pay the bill, the LA County Sheriff's Department was called and Richardson was hauled away to jail What happened next is the stuff of countless mothers' nightmares. Released from custody just after midnight, with no car, no money and no direction as to where to go next, Mitrice disappeared into the night - and into foreverville. Her remains were found months later, but to date clues as to how she died, or whether she was murdered, continue to run dry. Listen as Melissa is joined by clinical Psychologist Ronda Hampton, Ph.D., a mentor and friend to Mitrice, who has led a dedicated army of the young woman's friends and family in an unrelenting search for clues amid a story of - at best - some of the worst bungling ever committed by law enforcement. Tell us: Do you think you might have a tip that will turn this case around? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What kind of a sick monster would be so crass as to commit a burglary that he really didn't need to commit, then set out to murder anyone who not only betrayed him by telling on him, but also taking out anyone he THOUGHT MIGHT betray him...and recruiting others to do it for you? Our boy Clarence Ray Allen, that's who. Take a walk to the darkest side of Darkness Avenue with Melissa as she recounts the untold savagery and unexpurgated evil perpetrated by Allen and his dippy cohorts. And while she's at it, Melissa will also demonstrate how Allen just might be tied to the Ryen family murders for which Kevin Cooper was convicted (as was covered in Episodes 10 and 11 this season). Not for the feint of heart... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you addicted to true crime? Love a really scary ghost story? Seen all the "Freddy" movies 15 times each? Good for you! You are NOT a freak bunky - in fact, you may be healthier than most people. As Melissa explains in this intriguing MURDERTIZER (an appetizer of murder), exposing yourself to scary tales may just make you feel safer and more secure! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In part 2 of Melissa's exploration of the conviction of Kevin Cooper in the bloody slaughter of the Ryen family of Chino Hills California in 1983, your host gets into the nitty (and truly) gritty details of the positively botched investigation conducted by law enforcement at the time of the murders, and Cooper's decades-long path to having new DNA testing conducted on items that were overlooked or ignored. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In June 1983, two separate stories met at a ranch house in Chino Hills, California. The first story is the brutal stabbing/axing/icepicking mass murder of Doug Ryen, his wife Peggy, their daughter Jessica and Christopher Hughes, the 11 year-old best friend of the Ryans' son, Josh - Josh himself was near death, but eventually survived. The second story is that of one Kevin Cooper. a full-time convicted burglar and part-time convicted rapist, just escaped from the California Institution for Men - also known as the Chino Hills Men's Prison. Cooper, who had holed up in a house just a few hundred feet away from the Ryen home before (he claims) he headed for Mexico the night before the Ryen murders took place, was convicted of the slayings and sentenced to death. Seems like an open and shut case. Until one takes even a cursory look at how the case was handled. In this first of two parts on Kevin Cooper and the murder conviction that has him sitting on death row today, Melissa examines Cooper's history of burglary, his various name changes and escapes, including the escape from Chino Men's Prison that led him to his fate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Kentucky teenager Randy Lee Sellers got into a drunken brawl at the Kenton County Fair in 1980, the police who arrived decided not to arrest the young man, and instead put him in their patrol car to take him home. And that's the last time his friends or his loved ones ever saw or heard of him again. The patrol officers stated that Sellers asked to be dropped off prior to getting to his house, and that they obliged. For the past 38-plus years the mystery of his disappearance has remained headline news in Kenton County, with theories of his disappearance ranging from the simple to the complicated to conspiratorial. But no one seems to have found the answer. Enter Kenton County Police Detective Brian Jones - Melissa's special guest on this episode - who is now assigned to the case and is working actively on it. Join Melissa as she and Jones discuss the disappearance, the path to finding an answer and the uniqueness of such a shocking and vexing case arising in small town America. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greed is bad - evil greed is worse - and psychopathic evil greed is just downright bloody awful. And Dana Ewell and his best bud Joel Radovcich were about the greediest, psycho-nut-job evil rat bastards ever to crawl into the world. Melissa's retelling of this gruesome 1992 multiple murder of Ewell's parents and only sibling on Easter Sunday is as chilling as it is disgusting. As usual though, the nastiness is tempered by the heroism of two dogged Fresno County California detectives who took FIVE YEARS to finally bring the case to a close and bring Ewell and Radovcich to justice. Find out why this was known for years as "Fresno's Crime of the Century." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa's first MURDERTIZER (an appetizer of murder!) of 2019 catches us up on some important developments in the Will Cierzan and Thomas Brown cases. PLUS a preview of an upcoming interview with one of the world's top DNA experts - AND a report on Melissa's personal taste test on that Trader Joe's garlic dip she's heard so much about from Tip-Ster Charlotte. Oh and so very much more! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa visits with true crime podcast aficionado and budding criminologist Tanya Todd, who visits the Homestead Studios all the way from Toronto, Canada to share some of her insights, theories and general worldview as she embarks on a path toward her criminology degree. A delightful, funny, informative conversation between two lovers of the macabre, the mysterious and true crime solving. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa takes us through the deeply creepy disappearance of 18 year-old Thomas Brown on Thanksgiving Eve 2016, just moments after being videotaped pumping gas in the small town of Canadian, Texas. Can it really be true that law enforcement botched this case so badly that the victim's mother had to hire a private investigation team to try to get to the truth? Evidently so. Because due to the hard work of that private investigator, Thomas Brown's remains were finally uncovered in January 2019. But still absolutely nothing is known about the manner of his death. The police insist it was suicide - but the bizarre array of evidence, the way it was collected or otherwise discovered and the erratic and baffling way the case has been handled by law enforcement raise far more questions than they do divulge answers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The very case that first inspired Melissa to host her own podcast - the case of the 2017 disappearance in Santa Clarita, California of Will Cierzan, beloved husband, brother and friend of just about everyone he met. On the two-year anniversary of his vanishing, Melissa takes another look, determined to keep the case alive until Will is found. The facts of Cierzan's disappearance (he has not been located to this day) are frustrating, angering - and above all, sad. In this episode Melissa catches up on the developments of the case in the past 12 months, the maddening slowness of the investigation, the obvious priority shift since the lead detective in the case was assigned to a more glitzy, Hollywood-based investigation and the nagging sense that those responsible for Cierzan's disappearance (and likely demise) may never be brought to justice. A call to all Tip-Sters to be vigilant, look for clues, keep all ears and eyes open and if you know something, TELL SOMEONE. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jasmine and Jeremy and Jayme and Jake. Two young girls and their boyfriends with cute and alliterative names. Fun! Right? Um. No. In 2006, 12 year-old Jasmine Richardson disappeared from her home in Medicine Hat, Alberta after her parents and young brother were found brutally slain in their home. At first, authorities believed that Jasmine was kidnapped by the killer and was being held hostage. The truth was far more horrifying: Jasmine and her 23 year-old boyfriend Jeremy Steinke had actually committed the murders of Jasmine's family themselves - in a twisted plan to rid Jasmine of her ties to home so that she could run away with Jeremy. It was a crime so unimaginably horrible that it set a precedent for callousness and pure evil. So in 2018, when 13 year-old Jayme Closs of Barron Wisconsin went missing after HER parents were both brutally murdered in THEIR home, no one could blame some in law enforcement (and in the true crime blogosphere) from suspecting a replay of the Richardson case, and began looking for clues that a boyfriend was lurking somewhere in Jayme's social media background - a boyfriend that - who knows? - Jayme may have run away with after....you know... As it turned out, though, the two cases are completely UNlike each other - this time around, the plot was solely that of one of the most coldblooded, determined yet bizarre murderers anyone could ever imagine. Join Melissa as she delves into both cases, examines their similarities - and their truly frightening differences. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It takes a lot for Melissa to go wild over a podcast - there are plenty she LIKES but only a handful that turn her into a true fan. The "Big Feelings" Podcast with Lorraine Schweikhard and Ginger Warren shares that rare air. And for good reason - Lorraine and Ginger are hilarious, engaging, thought provoking and a true joy to listen to. Half chat-fest between two moms raising young children in the suburbs; half a unique exploration into the darker edges of true crime, "Big Feelings" is truly quirky and genuinely genuine - which is why Melissa fell in love. Join Melissa, Lorraine and Ginger as they cover topics as wide ranging as the nature of psychopathy (in adults AND children!), dirty diaper cleanup miscues, weird murder - and a not-to-be-missed discussion on the ins, outs, ups, downs and, well, every-other-direction of the bidet. We kid you not. We'll leave it at that, except to say that 'taint a conversation to be missed! A fun, bawdy hour-plus joy ride. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Season 2 opens with a case that's haunted Melissa for 2 decades - the untimely deaths of John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette and Carolyn's sister Lauren. Amid the obvious story lines of the Kennedy family's tragic history, its place in U.S. culture as the closest thing to an American royal family - and the sadness surrounding the demise of the young 38 year-old John-John, his bride and sister-in-law, Melissa asks a question buried deep beneath the facts of the case to ask a harrowing question: Could JFK, Jr. have been a high-achieving, undiagnosed psychopath? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the Season One Finale of JUST THE TIP-STERS, Melissa is joined on the phone by Michelle Kramer Joe - whose son - Cody Turner - disappeared without a trace in July 2015 after going out for the night and never returning to his grandparents' home in Yakima, Washington. Michelle has spent the last three years struggling to keep Cody's name in the forefront of police and the press, both of which she believes have never given their full attention to the case due to the stigma attached to Cody's drug and alcohol abuse. As Melissa points out in her discussion with Michelle, it DOES NOT MATTER what sort of mistakes one has made in life - NO ONE deserves to be forgotten and EVERYONE's life has meaning. Join Melissa as she closes out 2018 with a heart- wrenching plea from a mother for clues that might lead to finding her son. JUST THE TIP-STERS/SEASON TWO DEBUTS ON JANUARY 8, 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Getting ready to gorge on all those holiday appetizers? Before you start digging in to the fruitcake pops, how about a tangy-but-hearty MURDERTIZER? Melissa fills us in on the latest in the hideous swirling vortex of awful that is Joseph James DeAngelo - the latest being a surprising DNA test that may present more questions than it answers. Plus a court hearing sets the stage for a long (and expensive) taxpayer-funded journey to trial... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the second episode of this month's focus on unsolved missing person cases, Melissa is joined on the phone from Washington DC by special guest TAD DIBIASE, a former federal prosecutor and author of the book "No Body Homicide Cases: A Practical Guide to Investigating, Prosecuting and Winning Cases When the Victim is Missing." Dibiase has led a fascinating career, most recently focusing on how prosecutors can best find ways to bring to justice those whom law enforcement has everything to get a murder conviction EXCEPT a dead body. A terrific conversation that unveils some of the techniques that Dibiase makes available to law enforcement all over the U.S. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa looks at the heartbreaking, frustrating disappearance of Shannon Baldwin Hokanson, a beautiful young mother of three who disappeared in Enid Oklahoma in 2012. One of literally tens of thousands of unsolved missing persons cases each year in the United States, Shannon's case represents one of the most haunting and nightmarish scenarios any family member or loved one can ever face - the sudden and unexplained disappearance of a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend - into the ether. Maybe you know something that will help bring Shannon - or another missing soul - back home. Call us if you think you may have a piece to a puzzle of an unsolved disappearance - (832) TIP-STER (832-847-7837). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In her third and final installment on Los Angeles' most prolific serial killer, Lonnie Franklin, Jr. - aka The Grim Sleeper, Melissa examines the details of the botched search for the killer over the decades, the Los Angeles Police Department's eventual recognition of the importance of catching him - and Franklin's arrest and conviction. Most compelling is Melissa's retelling of the victim impact statements during sentencing, and the brilliant work of LAPD detectives, who paved the road to Franklin's demise through his taste buds - and a piece of partially eaten cheese pizza. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's the second installment of Melissa's recounting of the awful life and times of Lonnie Franklin, Jr. - the infamous "Grim Sleeper" killer who terrorized South Central Los Angeles for three decades before finally being brought to justice. During those years Franklin, raped, tortured and murdered at least nine young women and killed one lone male victim - for reasons that are still only speculation. Join Melissa as she recounts the harrowing - absolutely terrifying - stories of two women who survived Franklin's assaults, and look into the abyss of the real possibility - the likelihood? - that the Grim Sleeper - so dubbed because he "slept" for over a decade at one point before resuming his killing spree - may not really have ever gone to sleep... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.