Just The Tip-Sters: True Crime Podcast

Lonnie Franklin, Jr. was everybody's friend. Gregarious. Friendly to a fault/. Had good jobs, first at the City Sanitation Department and then as a mechanic for the LAPD. Lovely house on a corner lot. Lovely and devoted wife. Two kids. Kinda guy that would give you the shirt off his back - or perform sometimes complex repairs to your car for just 20 bucks. The epitome of a great neighbor. Problem is, Lonnie Franklin, Jr. had a side gig that wasn't so friendly. Turns out he was also one of the most prolific serial killers in the annals of crime. And he was good at it - eventually becoming infamous as the elusive "Grim Sleeper" who got away with at least 26 brutal slayings of women in South Central Los Angeles. 26 that we know of, that is. Join Melissa as she opens her case file on this devastating case with an overview of Franklin's evil career, to be followed in coming episodes with the horrifying details of the work of a monster who hid in plain sight for more than two decades before DNA and cheese from a pizza finally put him away. PLUS - Melissa reveals disturbingly hilarious details from her past that MAY explain...er...a lot! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa is joined via telephone by one of the most fascinating crime-fighting duos ever to bring really bad guys to justice! Except this bad "guy" was actually a female, but just as - or even more - evil than your average serial killer. Kelly Cochran was more than just a "black widow" - she is suspected of knocking off at least 10 men, including her last husband, Jason - whom she had enlisted in helping murder the man she was cheating on Jason with - Chris Regan. Cochran was finally brought to justice by the cunning, determination and sheer will of an unlikely pair of law enforcement professionals three hours away from each other - Iron River, Michigan police chief Laura Frizzo and Hobart, Indiana detective Jeremy Ogden. The Cochran case - including Frizzo and Ogden's story - is the subject of the Investigation Discovery documentary "Dead North." It's an incredible journey - and Melissa fell in love with the documentary so much that she found Frizzo and Ogden living in Indiana and invited them for an interview on JUST THE TIP-STERS - and they said yes! It's a fascinating, hour-plus conversation with two true original Good Guys pf law enforcement you won't soon forget. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What ties together the still-unsolved 1981 Halloween murders of photographer Ronald Sisman and Smith College coed Elizabeth Platzman in a Greenwich Village apartment...and the murder of young, beautiful Arlis Perry in the Stanford University chapel some seven years prior to, and 3,000 miles away from, the Sisman/Platzman crime? Well - it ain't anything...or anyONE...you'd suspect. Join Melissa on her favorite holiday as she takes the spooky Halloween Trail linking two completely different cases through the ramblings of a single twisted (and well-known) psychopath. Lots of tricks, no treats from that guy. Buckle up. BOO! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In certainly what appears to be a series of gross miscarriages of justice, in the late 1970s Texas millionaire Cullen Davis was (a) acquitted of one murder, (b) not charged in a second murder and the attempted murder of his ex-wife and two others, then (c) got a hung jury in a SECOND trial where he was charged with soliciting the murder of two other people (and acquitted in the re-trial). ALL of this with evidence that was so compelling it would have resulted in convictions in any other place and with any other defendant. Join Melissa as she relives this outrageous story of mad entitlement, wild jealousy and how the American justice system can be corrupted through wealth and influence. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa unravels another cold case brought to us by a Tip-Ster - this one frustrating to the point of maddening. In July 1999 in Fresno, California, teacher/wife/mother, 54 year-old Sandra Kerby went to Target to pick up a few things - and was never seen or heard from again. In the intervening years, lots of evidence points to one suspect - but not enough of it to issue an arrest warrant. And that is a tragedy - because Sandra Kerby, by all accounts, was one of the truly good people, and she left behind dozens of friends, family and former students who, to this day, seek answers. Someone out there knows something about what happened to Sandra...is it you? Now's the time to drop your tip on us! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this special edition of JUST THE TIP-STERS, Melissa travels south into deep Orange County California, to the campus of the University of California Irvine School of Law, where she spends a fascinating just-under-an-hour with Super Ninja Justice Lawyer Annee Della Donna, a private practice attorney in Laguna Beach who started and leads Innocence Rights Orange County. Together with a hearty band of law students from the UC Irvine Law School, Ms. Della Donna's homegrown innocence project has already worked on several impressive cases - including the case of the man she believes was wrongly convicted of the 1979 brutal murder of Joan Virginia Anderson - which, some of you Tip-Sters may remember, bore a lot of resemblance to the rapes and murders committed by the Golden State Killer (!). Della Donna and her team have convinced the Orange County D.A. to reopen that case...and they are now hot on the trail of a cold case also familiar to Just The Tip-Ster devotees - that of Garden Grove housewife Patricia Neufeld, whose murder in 1978 also looks suspiciously like the work of our old pal EARONS/GSK. A fascinating discussion with a remarkable champion for justice - and her personal story of her own possible...well... probable...encounter with you-know-who when she was a 17 year-old high school girl... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Friendly, regular family guy Altemio Sanchez - affectionately known around his neighborhood in suburban Buffalo, NY as "Uncle Al" - couldn't have been more of your basic solid citizen. A wife, kids, a good job at a local factory for more than two decades - all the markings of the Friend Next Door. Until he wasn't. Until he used his mornings off to attack, rape and murder unsuspecting women throughout the Buffalo area. With a string of assaults and murders stretching from 1990 to 2006 - and possibly going as far back as 1981 - Sanchez' capture and prosecution in 2007 remains one of law enforcement's most important successes. But the road to the killer's capture was fraught with miscues and outright bungles - and Melissa takes us through all the twists and turns of the investigation, arrest and conviction. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey! Don't be distracted by that...er...more Podcasty sounding introduction...it was just a little something we tried...for about 30 seconds...and then realized we just ain't traditional Podcasty People! Plus this is no time to mess around, since it's time for another TIP-STERS TWO CENTS, featuring listener emails, comments and general chit-chat. PLUS Melissa and Producer Mark mix it up on a wide variety of topics ranging from weirdly-pronounced city and street names to mispronounced words to...yes...peeing in the back yard. PLUS PLUS - there are scintillating updates in the seemingly bottomless trough of new stories coming out of the GSK investigation...and then Paul Holes news...and so much more! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's podcast, Melissa rips a story directly from the headlines in a shocking, still-developing story out of Oregon, where Chef Daniel Brophy - a professor and chef at a prestigious school for the culinary arts - was found on the floor dying from a gunshot wound in one of the institute's kitchens in June 2018. Just three months later, Brophy's wife, Nancy - a writer of romance/mystery novels - was arrested for the murder. But the police have convinced a judge to keep the reasons for the arrest under wraps - at least for now... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who could have guessed that the trail to catching the infamous Golden State Killer led straight through the brilliant mind of a retired attorney, medical doctor and Ph.D. who took on genealogy as a hobby! But that's exactly what happened when Det. Paul Holes recruited then 69 year-old Barbara Rae-Venter after reading about her phenomenal work two years earlier in San Bernardino. In this episode Melissa explains in detail how Dr. Rae-Venter used her scientific and deductive skills to help Det. Holes and his team track down GSK - and also hear the story of the amazing case of "Lisa," who, abandoned as a little girl by a convicted serial killer she had thought was her father, finally found a family through the work of Dr. Rae-Venter, a dogged police detective and a whole lot of good people who volunteered to help. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kicking September off with a Big Bunch of a Bang, Melissa covers some fascinating new ground in the ongoing prosecution of Joseph D'Angelo, the accused Golden State Killer. Including a discussion of the brilliant legal move made by the Contra Costa County District Attorney to turn what could have been a legal dead end into a possible new prosecutorial avenue to get justice for more victims...a background profile of one of the unsung (hopefully soon to be loudly sung) heroes of the case - a retired attorney-turned genealogist who played perhaps the biggest role in capturing the suspect...and Melissa's take on the Sacramento County District Attorney's behavior at the recent boffo press confab (spoiler alert: it ain't pretty). 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 short but savory MURDERTIZER for your mid-week snack! This time featuring a yellow Mini Cooper, a professor of anesthesiology and a big, bouncy yoga ball...oh, and of course, MURDER. When Professor Khaw Kim-sun's wife and daughter were found dead in their family car on a Hong Kong street, there appeared to be no signs of trauma or any other reason for their mysterious passing. What the police ended up discovering was downright inventive - but as with so many murder plots, a greater idea in theory than in execution. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

...so then...there was that time when Melissa and Producer Mark were sitting down to dinner...and then...the phone rang...and then... - And what a night it was, when Producer Mark's job called him down to the scene of a murder in a building owned by the company he works for. And guess who tagged along? If you guessed Melissa, you get a gold "Just The Tip-Ster" star! From that first harrowing night at the scene to the police investigation to the prosecution of the perpetrators, Melissa takes us deep into the brutal and horrifying death of Pamela Fayed, whose killers had to be the most clueless, stupid (and yes, evil) gang of murder-for-hire bunglers ever to carry out such a horrible deed. You won't feel sorry for any of them at tale's end. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So what is a girl to do when she's kinda sorta, you know, DONE with her husband and baby and wants to spend more time with her daddy-figure lover? Well - according to some (not us! don't look at us!), you do what Cynthia Knox (allegedly) did - pay to have the ball 'n' chain slaughtered and drown the kid yourself. Oh. And then when the in-laws take exception to your plan and come after you, you simply move to another state, steal a dead girl's identity and become a...wait for it...licensed yacht captain! In a story almost impossible to fathom Melissa unravels the tale of the very unlucky Harold "Skeeter" Lyerla, who married the woman of his dreams only to meet his doom - along with that of their baby daughter - (allegedly) because she was more into older men and her dreams were - darn it! - just a lot bigger than his - and required the proceeds from a life insurance policy to make them come true. Allegedly. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Shlomo (Sol) Salomen, his wife and two children suddenly disappeared from their suburban Northridge California home in October of 1982, nothing seemed to make sense. But as the serene picture of a happy family life was peeled away, a seamy and steamy truth started to emerge - about Sol's family life, his lifestyle and, most importantly, his business and his business associates. When one of those associates was tried - three times - and finally acquitted of murdering the Salomens - whose bodies have never been found - the case went cold for 20 years before the former best-friend of the Salomens' daughter finally had enough and started looking deeper. The results are fascinating and frustrating - but we just KNOW that a Tip-Ster who holds the clue that will break the case open is out there somewhere - is that Tip-Ster YOU? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A zesty MURDERTIZER wherein Melissa discusses the recent Oxygen Network documentary "Golden State Killer: Main Suspect," which features many new insights and interviews with friends and colleagues of accused GSK Joseph James D'Angelo. PLUS Melissa reveals breaking news regarding two new cases from 1974 and 1975 that send a strong hint that the Golden State Killer's murderous ways started long before anyone suspected - until now. AND Melissa checks in with listener comments and emails in another edition of TIP-STER TWO CENTS. More murder, mystery and mail than anyone deserves in a single podcast! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who woulda thunk it? Two very different guys - ten years apart - used the sub-sub story line of an episode of a TV crime procedural from 2003 and (almost) successfully make it work in real life! Or...er..death... On this episode of JUST THE TIP-STERS Melissa takes a look into the deaths of two men - one from just weeks ago in 2018 in Florida and another from a decade ago in New Mexico, both of which at first glance appeared to be murders But solid detective work and a search of the archives of the television show "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" revealed that both of the deceased men had actually committed suicide based on the plot from the show. Why would they go through all the trouble? The answer is simple and tragic - and in looking at these cases Melissa takes a strong stand on staying alive and embracing life. Funny, fascinating and compelling all at once. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa wraps up her examination of the West Mesa Murders in Albuquerque with a closer look at the multiplicity of possible persons of interest in the case - and not just the most obvious ones. Along the way, Melissa introduces us to the story of creepy genius murderer Todd Kohlhepp - who, while not the most likely culprit in the New Mexico slayings, demonstrates the potential of how any number of nasty rat bastards could have buried all those bodies out on the mesa. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

First things first - an update on a couple of new newzbitz on the Golden State Killer prosecution and things we're learning about people and events on the periphery of the investigation (boffo stuff!). And then Melissa continues her look into the still-unsolved West Mesa Murders in Albuquerque with profiles of each of the known victims in the case and their stories. With the case still unsolved, and with so much uncertainty over the "Lost Girls" still classified as missing from the period of time the known murders took place, this case screams out for any new leads - and logic tells us there's SOMEONE - maybe more than one person - out there who has information. If that person is you, please speak up - we're listening. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this short but totally sweet MURDERTIZER, Melissa reads some comments and suggestions from listeners and hands out some big thanks to other fans of the podcast. We love our listeners and we love hearing from them even more! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa takes a first look at the West Mesa Murders in Albuquerque - murders that happened over a long stretch of time but were not discovered until a mass grave was discovered on the mesa outside of town in 2009. An incredibly frustrating case - especially for the families of the "Lost Girls" who went missing in the years before the discovery of the bones on the mesa - the majority of whom are still missing and who (for all the authorities know) may be buried in other mass graves. To add to the crushing pain of the families of the victims - one of the key suspects is now deceased - and the other isn't talking. This one is truly in need of Tip-Sters who can help solve a mystery that deserves resolution. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a delicious mix of serious storytelling, film reviewing and humor, Melissa cuts loose on bad screenwriting AND awful murder as she looks at the life, career and death of writer/director/producer/actor Adrienne Shelly - who was murdered in her New York City office apartment in 2006, just when things were just starting to hit the bigtime for her. Her indy film "Waitress" had just been named to debut at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival when she was killed, and the film has gone on since to become somewhat iconic - it's even become a Broadway musical. But...really...why? As Melissa points out with brilliantly honest humor, "Waitress" just...isn't...very...good... Interweaving the tale of Shelly's senseless death with a devastating film review, this can only be described as something like Roger Ebert at the Morgue. Simultaneously compelling, brilliant, sad and hilarious, as only Melissa can convey. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Those question marks in the title of this episode are there for a reason - because a real mystery is evolving regarding the unsolved 1978 murder of Patricia Neufeld in Garden Grove, California. Originally attributed to a different mass murderer - who to this day denies Neufeld was "one of his" victims, a fresh look at the case reveals haunting similarities between the Orange County housewife's homicide and the M.O. of you-know-who (that would be the Golden State Killer for those of you just tuning in). Bolstered with some striking - and blind - input from two respected psychic detectives, the facts of this despicable crime take on a whole new light. Join Melissa as she shines it brightly on what might be one of GSK's earliest horrors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nearly killed at birth. Nearly drowned as a toddler. Australian transplant to America, where he becomes a rich South Florida playboy. Stone cold sexual predator. One of the deadliest spree killers in U.S. history. As Melissa explains in this episode, all of those descriptions apply to Christopher Wilder, who in less than three months in early 1984 wrote the swansong to his scabrous 39-year life by abducting and raping (at least) 12 women, killing (at least) 8 of them over a six-week cross-country murder binge that didn't end until...well let's not spoil the ending. Suffice it to say that nothing about the story of "The Beauty Queen Killer," as Wilder was dubbed by the American press, is anything close to beautiful. 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 less than two months since the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, the alleged Golden State Killer - but WOW has new information been pouring out about the case ever since. In this episode, Melissa goes through the search warrant served on the accused and the indictment - including new previously unpublicized allegations of creepy doings that are hard to believe (but, well, not that hard to believe). PLUS - a social media comment dialogue unearths a chilling, daring and ultimately hopeful confession from a would-be serial killer who has lived his entire adult life battling his demons. An absolutely compelling virtual conversation between Melissa and a man who found the courage to bring his darkness into the light. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One of the most frustrating cold cases in America comes to Melissa straight out of Houston Texas, where in late 2000 two completely unrelated women who happened to share the same exact first and last names were killed just four days apart. Could the first Mary Morris have been killed in a completely coincidental car fire? Could a serial killer be on the loose who hates the word combo "Mary + Morris?" Or is it more likely that the two murders were the result of a bizarre comedy/tragedy of errors? And could this be an instance of someone bungling so much of his murderous plan that he came out smelling like a rose? Spend a little bit of your day with Melissa as she uncorks one hell of a fizzy bottle of unsolved True Crime that maybe - just maybe - YOU - or some other brilliant Tip-Ster can help solve! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A blast from Melissa's college days turns into a rollercoaster ride of Murder-to-Movie- to-Murder! A recollection of a movie from 1985 called "Blackout" - released when Melissa was still in college - pops in to her memory banks as she looks into the 1971 case of John List, who murdered his wife, children and mother in the most macabre way and went on the lam for nearly two decades before "America's Most Wanted" finally smoked him out. Was "Blackout" based on the List murders? You decide! BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! Not long after the made-for-HBO "Blackout" was released into video stores, another murder with INCREDIBLY SIMILAR facts popped up in the investigation of Ed Sherman in Connecticut. Could one TV movie be the fulcrum in two different murders 14 years apart? Melissa thinks so. What about you? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When one of our beloved Tip-Sters - Laurencia all the way from Maine! - sent Melissa an email to suggest this gruesome little tale, we were surprised to learn that its subject - Pennsylvania's own Gary Heidnik - was one of TWO real-life killers writer Thomas Harris used to create his monstrous "Buffalo Bill" character in "Silence of the Lambs." We knew that Harris had used mass murderer Ed Gein to create his character, but we'd never heard of Heidnik. Laurencia - who's actually written a treatise on this case - set us straight on the story - which - yes! - comes complete with kidnapped young women held hostage in a dirt pit in a basement - and in this episode of JUST THE TIP-STERS Melissa fills us in on all the details of Gary Heidnik's icky lifetime of ickier crimes, culminating in a four-month spree of kidnapping, torture and murder...and at least one human head boiling on the cooktop range... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the final years of GSK's known (and we stress KNOWN) string of vandalism, rapes and murders - from 1980 to 1986 - the killings were less frequent but far more brutal as he transitioned from Central to Southern California. In this, the third and final installment on the history of the Golden State Killer, Melissa examines not only the brutal, last known murders in his spree - she also divulges some recently-uncovered facts about where the killer may have been living and how he had access to the victims. Plus - Melissa discusses what might have been GSK's first murder victim way back in 1975 - and how recently-revealed facts tie the man then known only as the Visalia Ransacker to the man who eventually became The Golden State Killer. 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 part of this multi-part series on California's infamous Golden State Killer, Melissa follows the path of the former East Area Rapist, now headed south to the state's Central Coast - and it's here where the now indicted John James DeAngelo allegedly acquires a real - and completely evil - taste for murder. As fascinating as it is chilling (and not for the squeamish), the story of this phase of GSK's decade-plus spree of terror is the story of a demonic madman finding his true, horrible calling and the deep and unending suffering left in his wake. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the first part of a multi-part series focusing on the infamous, decades-long mystery of the Golden State Killer - and the recent arrest of a suspect after 42 years - Melissa investigates not only the story itself but her own fascination - even obsession - with the case. In this installment - "The Early Years" - Melissa pieces together facts from John James DeAngelo Jr.'s youth and his youthful career as a police officer to describe in detail each step of what now appears to be over 50 years of terror and terrorizing. Each of the East Area Rapist's attacks are listed, in order, providing dramatic, staggering illustration to the enormity of his crimes. The story is often frustrating - as demonstrated by the numerous missed opportunities to stop the killer's spree before it became epidemic - but also engrossing and compelling. Now with the murderer's face is finally in the light, Melissa journeys into the place where the darkness first descended. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Melissa takes the suggestion of a loyal Tip-Ster calling the Tip-Ster Hotline from Cincinnati, Ohio - and explores one of that city's most haunting and frustrating cold cases - the Bricca family murders of 1966. A young family of three brutally stabbed to death on a peaceful Sunday night for seemingly no reason - and while some of the clues lead to what seems an obvious suspect, other clues lead to some bizarre possibilities far away from the Queen City and possibly into the past of one of the victims. To this day no one has been arrested, and while cold case detectives still work the case, as time passes it gets harder to solve as witnesses and possible suspects fade away. Here's one YOU might be able to help with - maybe you, dear Tip-Ster, have a tidbit of information that you never thought was important but could break the case. Listen in and put on your thinking caps... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He was only arrested a few days ago, but already the capture of Joseph James DeAngelo - the alleged "Golden State Killer" accused of committing 12 murders and innumerable rapes and robberies over a decade-plus crime spree, and who has eluded justice for over 40 years - has created a storm of media coverage. Some is speculative, much has turned out to be completely wrong. With all the facts still rolling in, Melissa has decided to wait for things to calm down in order to tell the full story not just of the arrest and prosecution of the suspect, but the full, complicated, frustrating story. In this MURDERTIZER, Melissa passes on her first impressions and gives a brief overview of the case so as to whet our Tip-Ster whistles for the full story - coming soon. for now, here's a taste of what's to come. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a special zesty MURDERTIZER between full episodes, Melissa follows up on the Zankou Chicken Massacre with a lighter chat about her numerous visits - some with Producer Mark and some by herself - to the new Zankou Chicken outlet near the Homestead Studios. Funny and touching at once, Melissa relives her thrilling first visit to the new eatery and her subsequent interactions with the Iskenderian family following the store opening, and her appreciation for all the family has gone through. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa completes her 3-part series on murderous men named Peterson with maybe the most fascinating of all - the tangled tale of Michael Peterson...who was convicted of killing his wife and making look like she fell down the stairs. One of the most highly-covered murder cases in the last 20 years, this case - like one of the nightclubs promoted by SNL's Stefon - has everything: late night hot tubs, microscopic raptor feathers, phony-ass blood spatter experts...and blowpokes. Yes, blowpokes. Come along for the ride as Melissa details the story of an innocent man who never gave up - or possibly a guilty bad boy who had some very good luck come his way when he most needed it... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yeah, he probably did it. You can feel in in your gut, right? That's pretty much what the jury said when it convicted Scott Peterson of the murder of his wife, Laci in 2004. But is demeanor evidence really evidence? And does it prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt? In Part 2 of her series featuring three men named Peterson who were each convicted of murdering their spouses, Melissa takes an honest poke at how Scott Peterson - who by all accounts is a no-good, cheating, lying rounder, got convicted of first degree murder with special circumstances based on little more than the fact that the jury didn't like him. Whether you think he did it or not, the key question of guilt beyond reasonable doubt was thrown to the wind in this case, and Melissa asks: Is that the kind of judicial system we really want? A truly unique case gets a fresh look and a critical view through Melissa's uniquely focused lens. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who would have guessed that three of the most notorious, murderous men in recent history all share the same last name? Not for nothing, ladies, but maybe if that dream date turns out to have a surname that starts with "P" and ends with "Eterson," you should reconsider Date No. 2. In this, the first of a three-part series on three dudes who had no connection to each other - other than the name Peterson...and long interviews with homicide detectives...Melissa leads us down the raunchy life-path of Drew Peterson, a choice butthead of a fella, who thought so much of himself and so little of anyone else (especially the women who were unfortunate enough to enter his sphere) that he thought he could get away with disposing of two wives as if they were no more than yesterday's trash and get away with it. In fact, it appears he still thinks he can. A real prize package, this guy. Melissa digs into the details of how the disappearance of Peterson's fourth wife - whose body has never been found - led to his arrest and conviction for the murder of his third wife - and how the determination of one victim's sister is leading to a final conclusion of both cases. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

...crusty AND flaky too! Here's another palette-cleansing, tasty and refreshing MURDERTIZER between regular episodes - this time so that Melissa can catch everyone up on the recent court ruling involving the remaining remains of Charles Manson, now dead nearly half-a-year and frozen solid in Kern County California awaiting this decision. Melissa takes us through some of the bizarre details and even more bizarre characters involved in this battle, and offers up some of her own thoughts on what REALLY should have happened to Chuck's Cold Carcass... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A beautiful young girl with dreams of stardom moves from small town Colorado to Los Angeles to make her way to stardom...sound familiar? Vicki Morgan's story actually did lead her to fortune - but not fame - at least not right away. Over a 12-year period, she was the on-again, off-again well-compensated "kept woman" of millionaire Alfred Bloomingdale. When Bloomingdale died and his widow ended the flow of dollars, Morgan sued the Bloomingdale estate for palimony - finally finding her fame when her sugar daddy's connections to the rich and powerful in California and Washington DC made for splashy and often tawdry headlines. When she was murdered before her lawsuit came to trial, many wondered - and wonder to this day - if the murderer was actually the man convicted of the crime, or...??? Join Melissa as she unravels the ultimate tale of a Hollywood dream gone bad. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

James Ray's self-help enterprise made him a zillionaire after Oprah Winfrey knighted him - however briefly - her favorite Guide to Self-Realization. All of it came crashing down in 2009 when three people died and many more were permanently injured at one of Ray's "sweat lodges" in the Arizona desert. Join Melissa as she weaves James Ray's rise to fame and success and ultimate fall to prison and financial ruin into her own experiences with the self-help movement and Ray himself. Can't-put-down-your-earbuds stuff, and a telling glimpse into the deadly hubris that can come from fame. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What's more deranged than a TV sitcom set in a Nazi prisoner of war camp? How about a drummer, radio personality and TV star who likes to feature himself in dirty home movies and gets himself bludgeoned to death in his Phoenix apartment? Hah? HAH?! And that's just the outline of this bizarre tale of Bob Crane, star of the hit TV series "Hogan's Heroes," whose questionable friendship with a video equipment sales executive in the late 60's and early 70's is still the buzz of Hollywood - and not only because John Henry Carpenter put the Betamax to use for purposes other than intended - but also because of his purported involvement in Crane's bloody death in 1978 - something never proven and keeps this story as fascinating as the day the body was discovered. Join Melissa as she makes the strangest visit to TVLand ever attempted. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The mystery of screenwriter/producer Gary DeVore's 1997 disappearance on a dark and lonely highway - and the discovery of his body a year later - sans both hands! - continues to baffle and disturb to this day. Melissa revisits the facts of this weird case, and delves into some of the speculation on what sinister forces may have been behind his death. Hint: Black helicopters ARE mentioned! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa is joined by author, singer/songwriter, columnist and photographer PAUL ZOLLO to talk about the infamous case of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two young men who, in 1924 stunned the city of Chicago and the entire nation when decided that they could commit the perfect murder and proved themselves spectacularly and gruesomely incorrect. Melissa joins Zollo, a Chicago native who has been fascinated by the story for years, to discuss the deeper aspects of this weird yet spellbinding story of two sociopaths who found each other in the same neighborhood and attending the same schools - and who may have had a more complex relationship than simply teaming to commit a cruel and random murder, which generated the first-ever "Trial of the Century" and transfixed the U.S. and the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

They say that the fun is doubled when twins are involved...but whoever thought up that little gem never met the Duval Sisters of Maui, formerly of Park City, formerly of West Palm Beach - and for one of them, most recently, formerly of this mortal coil. Melissa rips a page from the headlines in this spellbinding tale of two identical twins who thought teaching yoga to the rich and famous would make them...well...rich and famous too - only to be done in by the fact that they were, um, BATS**T CRAZY - which led to tragedy. But was it murder? Take a listen and decide for yourself. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ever wonder why so many serial killers live their entire lives without ever getting caught? They're CLEVER, that's why. And the clever ones who do get caught? Maybe it's just because they want to be caught. Join Melissa as she investigates the totally depraved, disturbing and utterly brilliant killing spree of Israel Keyes, whose meticulous pre-planning and strict self-discipline enabled him to murder randomly and always getting away clean - until the day he broke his own Rules of the Hunt. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa investigates a murder right in her own town - a 2007 "unsolved but solved" case involving the bludgeoning of Lawana Clary, a housewife and special education teacher whose killer will never come to justice - but whose case still needs closure. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa discusses the tragic case of Barbara Ann Hackman, known only as "Tent Girl" when her body was first found wrapped in a circus tent canvas in rural Kentucky in 1969. Through the determination of her family and the passion and commitment of one special man who, through pure coincidence, became the force behind her eventual identification decades later. A tale of sadness, but also of the beauty of the human spirit, and the small Kentucky town that gave her dignity in death, though it never knew her name. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa is joined by renowned spiritual counselor and psychic detective PAM CORONADO, who for more than two decades has helped law enforcement solve a wide array of murders and other crimes. Known for her numerous appearances in film and television, including "Sensing Murder" and "The Unexplained," Coronado is also an educator and personal spiritual advisor. In this episode of "Just the Tip-Sters, Melissa and Pam discuss the essence of psychic detective work and re-visit Pam's very first case from 1996 - as well as the 2010 homicide committed by one of her former business partners - who may have manifested his own grim destiny. A fascinating, exhilarating and fun hour-plus conversation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A delicious appetizer to whet your whistle until the next full episode - today Melissa tells the tale of Frances Glessner Lee, who, at the age of 52 and with no college education, began a career that changed law enforcement and the art of medical forensics forever, and whose methods are still used today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Melissa delves into the tragic 2011 "Lululemon Murder" in Bethesda Maryland by way of a riveting and personal exploration of one woman's passion for yoga. Often erroneously described as "the murder in the yoga store," Melissa discusses the Lululemon case through the lens of her own personal journey with yoga, how it's portrayed in popular culture, and the unfortunate way gullible, beautiful souls searching for spiritual healing and meaning can be co-opted by false gurus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.