Daniel Brophy was a beloved chef and culinary instructor in Portland, Oregon. On June 2, 2018, he was found shot to death inside his classroom at the Oregon Culinary Institute. The investigation led to his wife, Nancy Crampton Brophy, a romance novelist who had once written an essay titled "How to Murder Your Husband." Evidence included gun parts purchased online, life insurance policies, and surveillance footage. In May 2022, Nancy was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. This case proves that sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction.

When Nikki Cheng Saelee McCain vanished in May 2024, her husband Tyler publicly pleaded for her safe return. At a March 2025 press conference, Tyler stood next to Nikki's sisters and FBI agents, asking for help to find her. But in August 2025, Tyler was arrested and charged with Nikki's murder. Prosecutors allege he had a motive to silence her—one involving a disturbing history. Nikki is still missing. A $30,000 reward is offered for information.

In 1969, Jane Mixer, a 23-year-old University of Michigan law student, was found shot and strangled in a cemetery. For 30 years, her case was unsolved. In 2001, DNA testing pointed to Gary Leiterman, who was convicted in 2005. But the conviction was controversial—three scientists later argued the DNA was likely lab contamination. Gary maintained his innocence until his death in prison in 2019. Was he truly guilty, or was Jane's real killer never caught?

On October 2, 2018, Cheryl Coker vanished from her Riverside, Ohio home. Her SUV was found in a Kroger parking lot with her purse and phone inside. Cheryl—a bubbly mom and grandmother—had not left voluntarily. For 18 months, her family searched desperately. In April 2020, her remains were found in a wooded area. Police believe she was murdered at home. The only person of interest is her husband, Bill Coker. Despite strong evidence, no charges have been filed. Cheryl's family is still waiting for justice.

In July 1988, Lieth Von Stein was brutally murdered in his Washington, North Carolina home while his wife Bonnie barely survived. The crime scene looked like a burglary, but nothing was taken. As detectives investigated, they uncovered a conspiracy involving Lieth's stepson Chris and his college friends who were obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons. The motive? A $2 million inheritance. This case explores how greed, entitlement, and fantasy role-playing led to one of North Carolina's most shocking family murders—a plot orchestrated by college kids who thought they could get away with it.

Some lawsuits are so absurd they make you lose faith in humanity. This episode covers the wildest, most frivolous legal cases in American history. From Anna Ayala's Wendy's finger fraud (she planted a severed finger in her chili to sue for millions) to the man who sued himself, to the guy who demanded $67 million over a lost pair of pants—these stories prove greed and audacity know no bounds. We're diving into scams, frauds, and legal schemes so unbelievable you'll think we made them up. Spoiler: we didn't.

When a friend found 58-year-old Janie Ballard stabbed over 70 times in her Little Rock home, investigators immediately suspected her own daughter, Leslie, and Leslie's much older husband, Mike McCool. Leslie had grown up with every advantage, but after meeting Mike—a manipulative bodybuilder 22 years her senior with a violent past—she transformed completely. When Janie cut Leslie out of her will, the relationship turned deadly. This case explores how manipulation, greed, and toxic family dynamics led to one of Arkansas's most shocking matricides.

Science is supposed to cure disease and improve life, but sometimes confidence goes off the rails. Today, we are taking you on a tour through history’s wildest moments when science went completely off the rails, including incidents where confidence reached levels of blowing up a dead whale, dropping cats out of planes, and poisoning an entire generation.

What was supposed to be an ordinary Saturday morning became the moment that would define and nearly destroy 14-year-old Michael Politte's life. We dive into the devastating 1998 case where a house fire in Florida led to a wrongful accusation that tore a family apart.

In the summer of 1965, Houston, Texas, police performed a welfare check that led to the discovery of one of the most disturbing crime scenes in the state's history. The dismembered bodies of Fred and Edwina Rogers were found chillingly placed inside their own refrigerator. The couple's son, Charles Rogers, vanished without a trace and remains the only suspect in this brutal case.

When 34-year-old Sherri Papini vanished during an afternoon jog in Redding, California, in November 2016, her husband found her phone on the roadside with strands of her blonde hair tangled in the earbuds. Three weeks later, she reappeared on Thanksgiving morning—emaciated, bruised, with a chain around her waist. She claimed two Hispanic women had abducted and tortured her. The nation rallied around her. But investigators began noticing troubling inconsistencies in her story. This is Part 1 of one of the most shocking hoaxes in recent true crime history.

This week, we're taking a break from heavy true crime to share quirky summer crimes from quintessential vacation spots—beaches, ice cream shops, campgrounds, and lakes. From a filmmaker who exposed a theft ring targeting surfers in Newport Beach to a Michigan man stealing from campground payment boxes, these stories are lighthearted and bizarre. We'll also cover boat thefts in Germany and ice cream heists that required "pint locks." If you're looking for fun, quirky true crime, this episode is perfect. Crime doesn't take a summer vacation—it just gets more creative!

Before he was the Notorious B.I.G., Christopher Wallace was a kid from Brooklyn with big dreams. His rise to rap superstardom was meteoric, but it was cut short on March 9, 1997, when he was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. He was just 24 years old. Despite multiple witnesses, FBI investigations, and decades of speculation, his murder remains unsolved. Theories include gang retaliation, corrupt LAPD officers, and revenge for Tupac's death. This episode explores Biggie's life, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry, and the mystery that haunts hip-hop history.

On October 21, 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of the Western film Rust when a gun held by Alec Baldwin discharged during a rehearsal. The bullet struck Halyna in the chest, and she died from her injuries. She was 42 years old. How did a live round end up in a prop gun? Who was responsible? In Part 1, we explore the events leading up to Halyna's death, the chaotic production, the unqualified armorer, and the critical safety failures that turned a routine rehearsal into a fatal disaster.

In Part 1, we explored the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. In Part 2, we dive into the investigations and trials. Where did the live ammunition come from? Who was responsible? Investigators uncovered cost-cutting, unqualified staff, and ignored safety protocols. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was forced to juggle two jobs. Alec Baldwin claimed he never pulled the trigger. The assistant director admitted he didn't check the gun. This episode examines the criminal charges and the difficult question of accountability when a preventable tragedy occurs.

On June 19, 1982, James and Virginia Campbell were shot to death in their Houston home while they slept. The shocking answer to who killed them: their own daughter Cindy and her boyfriend David West. Cindy stood to inherit money and was willing to murder her parents to get it—while her young children slept down the hall. This case features one of the most incredible undercover investigations in true crime history, as a 23-year-old private investigator befriended David West for months to extract a confession. A chilling story of greed, betrayal, and family murder.

In early 2018, 25-year-old Trish Haynes told her family she was heading to New Hampshire to clear up a court matter. Then she vanished. Four months later, a shocking discovery was made: a jawbone sealed inside a washing machine at the bottom of Grant Pond. Trish had been raised by her devoted grandparents and had dreams of modeling. She had a big heart and saw the best in everyone. Despite ample circumstantial evidence, no one has ever been held accountable for her murder. This is Trish's story, told with the help of her family.

In October 2016, Bianca Rudolph was found dead from a gunshot wound in a Zambian safari cabin. Her husband Larry claimed it was an accident, but investigators discovered a pattern of infidelity, a long-term affair with his office manager Lori Milliron, and nearly $5 million in life insurance payouts. This update episode covers the full story—from the suspicious death to the investigation, trial, and verdict. Larry Rudolph was convicted of murder and mail fraud. Lori was convicted as an accessory. Justice for Bianca came years later, but it finally came.

This is where it all began. In 2017, our very first episode covered the Casey Anthony case. Eight years later, we're revisiting this infamous story with fresh perspective and updated information. In 2008, two-year-old Caylee Anthony disappeared from Orlando. Her mother Casey waited 31 days to report her missing. When Caylee's remains were found, Casey was charged with murder. The trial shocked the nation. Recently, Casey re-emerged on social media, rebranding herself as an advocate. This renewed episode is our definitive deep dive into one of the most controversial cases in true crime history.

On July 6, 2012, 16-year-old Skylar Neese slipped out of her bedroom window to meet her two best friends, Sheila Eddy and Rachel Shoaf. She never came home. The girls told Skylar's parents they had dropped her off at midnight and didn't know where she went. But months later, Rachel confessed: she and Sheila had lured Skylar into the woods and murdered her. When asked why, Rachel's answer was chilling: "We didn't want to be friends with her anymore." This is the story of an unthinkable betrayal in a small West Virginia town.